The intensive care unit with the largest number of patients and most vulnerable population has been excluded from Phase 1 Covid vaccine. The Provincial NICU program serves critically ill neonates. Staff including nurses, transport nurses, respiratory therapists, neonatologists, and many other support personnel provide care to patients and families daily. The NICU transport teams travels to periphery hospitals and nursing stations to stabilize and transport medically fragile infants to NICU and other tertiary care hospitals as required. In hospital, teams from NICU resuscitate high risk neonates at delivery, care for unwell newborns, and assess and treat neonates who present in the emergency department. Interventions commonly include bag and mask ventilation, intubation, and non-invasive ventilation, all of which are considered AGMP. NICU is the largest intensive care unit in the province, with the highest number of ventilated patients.
The Saskatchewan Vaccine Delivery Plan included intensive care units as a priority. There has been no explanation why Neonatal Intensive Care has been excluded from the plan. This is discriminatory and unfair. NICU provides many of the same interventions of an adult or pediatric intensive care unit. Neighbouring provinces have recognized that NICU staff care for immunocompromised patients and are specialized staff that could not be replaced by other health care professionals. 
In signing this petition you are supporting the demand by NICU staff to be rightfully included in Phase 1 vaccination.