The state of the debate around vaccinating federal inmates is embarrassing. Doug Ford has joined the chorus, arguing that Ottawa is vaccinating inmates instead of long-term care home residents.

This is bullshit. Total, absolute bullshit. Let me break it down:

There are fewer than 160,000 long-term care home residents in Canada. ( https://hillnotes.ca/2020/10/22/long-term-care-homes-in-canada-how-are-they-funded-and-regulated/) To date, more than 420,000 doses of vaccines have been sent to the provinces — so enough for two doses of every LTC resident, and then some.

Ottawa has set aside 3,700 vaccines doses for federal use — for Health Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Correctional Services.

1,200 doses will go to 600 elderly and particularly at-risk federal inmates. That's it.

Nobody has made a decision to vaccinate a serial killer instead of your dear ol' gran. The decisions made in Ottawa have specifically, pointedly, meant LTC residents can be vaccinated now. If they're not, that's not because they're going to inmates.

This is absolutely pathetic. This debate is callous, based on absolute bullshit, and it has completely shifted attention from how badly Ottawa is managing the situation inside these prisons.

If you want to hear me yell about this, I join 640 Toronto at about the 14 minute mark: https://omny.fm/shows/alan-carter/the-rules-dont-apply-to-everyone