An all-party committee of the Yukon Legislative Assembly has released a report on COVID-19 vaccines in the Yukon that evaluates the Yukon government’s status in addressing weaknesses identified in how the vaccination program was rolled out.
The standing committee on public accounts anticipates that relevant government departments will make more progress when it comes to addressing the issues highlighted in a 2023 audit on COVID-19 vaccines in the Yukon. Their most recent report follows a public hearing with officials from Canada’s auditor general’s office and the Yukon government.
“Based on the evidence provided by witnesses during the public hearing and through written submissions, the committee believes that the departments have seriously considered the Auditor General’s recommendations,” reads the report’s findings.
“Work to deal with the weaknesses identified in the report is underway, and the committee is looking forward to seeing the progress that the departments will be making in the near future.”
The committee dug into the 2023 audit during the hearing held in the Yukon Legislative Assembly.
Witnesses at the hearing on Dec. 12, 2023, included Andrew Hayes, deputy auditor general, and Tammy Meagher, director of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, as well as government representatives from the Executive Council Office, the Health and Social Services department and the Community Services department.
The report summarizes the audit’s findings and the seven recommendations from the auditor general.
While the auditor found the vaccine rollout was effective, it also found “outdated and incomplete” emergency and pandemic planning in the territory.
The audit pointed out “weaknesses” in monitoring and reporting of the rollout, which resulted in “errors and discrepancies.”
Furthermore, Yukon First Nations were left out of the planning, per the audit.
The department agreed with the auditor’s recommendations.
“There are always lessons to be learned after the emergency or critical event, which is why our response planning includes after-action reviews. These reviews scrutinize our efforts, ask difficult questions and highlight where we fell short. They are conducted with the goal of ensuring that we continue to improve,” Justin Ferbey, deputy minister of the Executive Council Office and cabinet secretary, told the committee.
“We reviewed the report from the auditor general with the same lens. We recognize the importance and value of all of the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations. We appreciate their work and know that it will assist us with future pandemic responses and other types of emergencies.”
The committee indicated its follow-up work may involve another public hearing on the matter.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com