Pfizer shutdown to slow vaccine rollout

HALIFAX — A temporary manufacturing shutdown at Pfizer will take at least 13,500 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine out of Nova Scotia's supply over the next couple of months.

The supply stoppage is related to the company upgrading its Belgium facilities.

In a report issued early Tuesday afternoon, the province said it expects to receive 59,850 doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in January and February. But it's expected the Pfizer portion of that supply will go down even further. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced later Tuesday that Canada won't receive any Pfizer vaccine at all next week.

“There have been concerns about the supply chain and as the Pfizer plan in Belgium is temporarily shut down in order to build up its operations to increase supply,” Premier Stephen McNeil said at a COVID-19 briefing Tuesday.

“We continue to work with the federal government and it is our hope that this temporary shutdown will not last long and any supply issues will be resolved as soon as possible.”

The shortfall is expected to be made up by March and so the delays aren't likely to affect the province's overall vaccine distribution schedule, reporters were told at a vaccine program technical briefing.

The province hopes to vaccinate everyone who wants a shot by October.

At the briefing Tuesday, Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, said the Pfizer disruption will slow down the rollout.

But he said the Pfizer shutdown will allow the company to upgrade its plant to greatly increase its capacity “so it's a bit of short-term pain for a long-term gain and we continue to be told any reduction we're getting for February will be added to our supply that we can expect in March.”

As of Jan. 18, there were 8,520 doses administered in Nova Scotia at clinics for health-care workers and long-term-care residents at Northwood Halifax. Of those, 2,215 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

Starting this week, the long-term-care phase of the immunization program will expand to Northwood's Bedford campus, Oceanview Continuing Care Centre in Dartmouth, Shannex Parkstone Enhanced Care in Clayton Park, Northside Community Guest Home in North Sydney and Harbourstone Enhanced Care in Sydney.

Over the next three months, the province will also launch “prototype clinics” to gear up for the delivery of large quantities of vaccine as supply increases. Those include community clinics for those aged 80 and over and clinics in First Nations and African Nova Scotian communities delivered by physicians and pharmacists. Appointment letters from the government health insurance program MSI will be sent out over the coming days, Strang said at the briefing.

Nova Scotia reported four new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. A case in the northern health zone is a close contact of a previously reported case.

The other three cases are in the central zone and are related to travel outside Atlantic Canada. The people are selfisolating, as required.