Priority Groups

Vaccine doses for the whole population will not arrive at the same time. That is why we are using a phased approach to administer vaccines, starting with those most at risk.

It is important to note that priority groups, including the order of vaccine administration, may need to change as COVID-19 epidemiology and vaccine logistics in Newfoundland and Labrador evolve. Vaccine rollout across the four regional health authorities may also vary due to these and other factors.

Phase 1

This phase focuses on those most at risk of exposure to COVID-19, those most likely to experience severe complications due to COVID-19 infection, and those essential to maintaining the provincial pandemic response.

In keeping with recommendations from NACI, the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccine in Newfoundland and Labrador will be prioritized for the following groups:

  • Congregate living settings for seniors;
  • Health care workers at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, and those who are directly involved in the pandemic response;
  • Adults 85 years of age and older; and
  • Adults in remote or isolated Indigenous communities.

Health care workers include staff in acute care, long-term care, personal care homes, and community, including home care workers, working in the following settings: COVID-19 testing and assessments; emergency departments and labour and delivery rooms (case rooms); COVID-19 immunization programs; COVID-19 units; and, critical care units.

Phase 2

Age remains the biggest risk factor for severe complications, hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19. Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Immunization Plan aims to strike a balance between protecting the most vulnerable, while maintaining capacity to respond to incidents that pose significant risk to public safety.

Once the people in Phase 1 have been immunized and additional vaccine supply becomes available, these groups will be prioritized for vaccination:

Adults 70 years of age and older, starting with those 80 years and older

Adults who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis

Staff, residents, and essential visitors at congregate living settings

  • This priority group includes locations where people share sleeping quarters and eating facilities.  This includes but is not limited to:
    • shelters, group homes, transition houses;
    • correctional facilities; and
    • land-based worksites such as Muskrat Falls, Voisey’s Bay, fish farming locations.

Adults 60 to 69 years of age

Adults in marginalized populations where infection could have disproportionate consequences

  • This priority group includes members of our communities that are experiencing homelessness or with precarious housing arrangements. It also includes individuals who are new to Canada and may not have established access to healthcare. The province and the Regional Health Authorities will reach these individuals through contact with organizations such as Association for New Canadians and The Gathering Place.

First responders

  • First responders are those people deemed vital to public safety.  This group includes but is not limited to:
    • career and volunteer firefighters;
    • police officers;
    • border services (including Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture officers working provincial embarkation and disembarkation points);
    • search and rescue crew; and
    • Provincial Government personnel in the following response fields: Environmental Health Officers, Environmental Protections Officers, Highway Enforcement Officers, and Occupational Health and Safety Officers.

Frontline health care workers who were not immunized in Phase 1 and who may come into direct contact with patients

  • This priority group is focused on the remaining health care work force in the province that are required to have direct patient contact (Regional Health Authority and non-Regional Health Authority staff).  This group includes but is not limited to:
    • Dieticians;
    • Optometrists;
    • Massage Therapists;
    • Physiotherapists;
    • Chiropractors;
    • Facilities such as Athena Medical Centre;
    • Dentists;
    • Pharmacists;
    • Physicians;
    • Dental Hygienists;
    • Dental Assistants; and
    • Social Workers.

People ages 12 to 59 who are clinically extremely vulnerable

People who are required to regularly travel in and out of the province for work

  • This priority group includes those residents of Newfoundland and Labrador that must travel in and out of the province as part of their work and do so on a regular basis. This group includes but is not limited to:
    • Commercial truck drivers; and
    • Rotational workers.
  • People who live in Labrador or Quebec that cross the Labrador-Quebec border every day for work are not included in this group.

Frontline essential workers who have direct contact with the public and cannot work from home during Alert Level 5.

  • This priority group are those people that provide a critical role in providing goods and services to the people of the province.  It is also those who are vital to sustaining key infrastructure where there is no inherent redundancy. This group includes but is not limited to:
    • Key personnel from NL Hydro and Power;
    • Teachers and day care workers;
    • Food processing facilities, such as fish plants and Country Ribbon;
    • Individuals who work in convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, pet stores; and
    • Those who are critical to maintaining the water supply system.

Phase 3 (in progress)

Once the people in high-risk priority groups have been immunized, the vaccine will be offered to the general public. Vaccines in Phase 3 will be offered to:

  • Anyone in priority groups remaining from Phase 1 or 2; and
  • Individuals 12-59 years of age, starting with those 55 years of age and above, and then decreasing age limit by five-year age increments.