National Post (National Edition)

Provinces rethink vaccine programs as Pfizer slows delivery

Volume to be cut in half over next four weeks

- MIA RABSON

OTTAWA • At least three provinces are now temporaril­y delaying or pausing COVID-19 vaccinatio­n programs amid fallout from Pfizer's decision to reduce Canada's vaccine deliveries over the next month.

More than half a million Canadians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 thus far, and more than 822,000 doses of the two approved vaccines have been delivered from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

But all provinces are being forced to revisit their vaccinatio­n programs after Pfizer suddenly told Canada on Friday morning it would be cutting the doses delivered in half over the next four weeks, while it upgrades its factory in Belgium. Pfizer was to ship 735,150 doses to Canada between Jan. 18 and Feb. 14.

Canada's deliveries after the partial pause will be bigger than previously expected so Pfizer can fulfil its contract to deliver four million doses by the end of March.

About 600,000 doses have been delivered from Pfizer so far.

The new delivery schedule has not yet been posted publicly, but provinces are preparing for the temporary downturn anyway.

Manitoba stopped taking appointmen­ts for first doses Friday but will honour appointmen­ts already made.

Ontario's chief medical officer Dr. David Williams said Saturday his province would delay giving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 42 days, instead of the recommende­d 21 days. The 28-day schedule for Moderna's vaccine will remain intact, said Williams.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Monday his province has “quite simply run out of supply” of COVID-19 vaccines and is no longer taking appointmen­ts for people to get their first doses.

“I am deeply disappoint­ed at the situation we are now facing,” said Kenney.

“Due to the unexpected supply disruption the federal government announced last week, Alberta will have no more vaccine doses available to administer as first doses by the end of today or early tomorrow.”

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said his province is considerin­g whether to adjust the dosing schedule. B.C. had already changed the 21-day second-dose schedule to 35 days, but Dix said that may change again because of the delivery shortages.

Alberta hit a milestone on Sunday by delivering of the first doses of vaccine to all residents of long-term care facilities. Ontario still anticipate­s hitting its first target of inoculatin­g 61,500 long-term care residents, staff and primary caregivers by Thursday.

Pfizer is trying to double its production of vaccine doses to two billion this year and is planning to temporaril­y curb production at its Belgian facility to make upgrades that will allow for that increase.

Pfizer Canada spokeswoma­n Christina Antoniou said the delivery delays will affect other countries besides Canada and the European Union but the company has not identified them.

Europe has already seen its delivery delay period shortened from four weeks to just one. Pfizer told Europe Friday that delays to its dose deliveries would end Jan. 25, while Canada expects to be affected until mid-February.

Conservati­ve health critic Michelle Rempel says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must explain why Canada's delivery schedule is being affected for longer.

“It's up to the prime minister to explain to Canadians why they won't be able to get vaccinated for months, while European countries have minimal delays in receiving vaccines,” Rempel said.

“It's up to him to explain why, based on Friday's news about vaccine delivery delays, we might be looking at many more months of lockdown — with the lost jobs, time with families, and mental health challenges that accompany them. It's up to him to find a better path forward.”

Trudeau said Friday the decision was “out of our hands” but that it would not affect Canada's long-term goal to have every Canadian vaccinated by the end of September.

By the fall, Canada is to get a total 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

 ?? NATHAN DENETTE / THE CANADIAN PRESS ?? Pfizer is trying to double its production of vaccine doses to two billion this year and is planning to temporaril­y curb production at its Belgian facility to make upgrades.
NATHAN DENETTE / THE CANADIAN PRESS Pfizer is trying to double its production of vaccine doses to two billion this year and is planning to temporaril­y curb production at its Belgian facility to make upgrades.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada