Canadian Rangers to support vaccinations of 31 fly-in First Nations in northern Ontario

Operation "Remote Immunity" to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 31 fly-in First Nations in northern Ontario will have the support of the Canadian Rangers, the federal government announced just one week before the first community-wide vaccinations are set to begin.

Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair tweeted Sunday that the federal government approved a request from the Ontario government for members of the Canadian Armed Forces to support the vaccination of remote Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities.

A spokesperson with Ornge, which is responsible for the delivery of vaccines and vaccinators to each of the communities, later clarified in an emailed statement to CBC that the role of the Canadian Rangers "will not be as vaccinators but rather they will provide logistics support relating to such items as vaccination clinic readiness, and arranging for transportation and translation services."

But this assistance will only be provided "if required and desired by the community."

The Canadian Rangers are members of the military that live and work in remote regions, and many members of the group are residents in the First Nations themselves.

Remote First Nations were included as a priority group to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario, and planning has been ongoing since December.

The first community-wide vaccinations will begin on February 1, with the goal to provide both doses of the Moderna vaccine to everyone that wants them in 31 remote First Nations by the end of April.