Montana Partners With Alberta in Giving Vaccines to Truck Drivers
The Montana Governor Greg Gianforte announced that the state will offer COVID-9 vaccines to Canadian truck drivers. According to the announcement, the program is in partnership with Alberta, Canada.
Premier Jason Kenney from Alberta also announced on the same day that Alberta and Montana signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will vaccinate truck drivers coming from their town to the United States. Associated Press reported that the announcement of the Montana government about the program followed the 1,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna from the Blackfeet tribe in Northern Montana. The said doses were given to the tribe's relatives and neighbors across the border.
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Canadian Truck Drivers Eligible for COVID Vaccines in Montana
Axios reported that the partnership between Alberta and Montana will vaccinate about 2,000 truck drivers who regularly drive and deliver goods into the United States. The drivers will be vaccinated at a stop in Conrad, Montanna. The program will run for at least two weeks, from May 10 to May 23. The said service will be open to truck drivers from eight in the morning until eight in the evening.
The Montana government did not initially reveal what vaccine will be administered to the truck drivers. However, the government of Alberta pointed out that the said truck drivers will be administered with Johnson and Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services will collaborate with Best Practice Medicine in inoculating the vaccine jabs into the arms of the truck drivers. Best Practice Medicines is a clinical staffing deployment vendor. Meanwhile, Montana and other truck drivers from the U.S. are also eligible to get the vaccines.
Electronic signage on I-15 was reported to offer guidance to truck drivers and find out where to go to avail of the vaccine.
Montana and Alberta Partnership
Governor Gianforte, in the release, emphasized that the pandemic has severe impacts on both economies of the two states.
"By working together and taking this critical action, we keep our trade channels open between Montana and Alberta," he said.
Associated Press noted that the border between the United States and Canada have been closed due to pandemic. However, the area opened to essential traffic last spring. Moreover, about 800 commercial carriers cross the border located in Alberta and Montana.
"We are very grateful to Montana Governor Gianforte for the generous donations of vaccines to protect our truckers," said Premier Jason Kenney in a press release. Kenney also noted that Alberta depends on trade with their American neighbors, highlighting that the partnership will put the goods to the market "while stopping the spike of COVID."
Meanwhile, Canada's Minister of Transportation and Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver commented that the agreement with their American neighbors will help them protect truck drivers who cross the border while they are working on administering vaccines to Albertans as quickly as possible.
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WATCH: Alberta announces vaccine partnership with Montana - from YourAlberta