The Standard (St. Catharines)

Steady supply of vaccine is still months away

Canadians must continue to take precaution­s as they wait their turn, says public health official

- KELLY GERALDINE MALONE

OTTAWA — Federal officials have warned access to vaccines in Canada will remain a challenge until at least April.

Canada has seen daily averages of 7,727 cases of COVID-19 in the last week, and hospitaliz­ations and deaths continue to rise.

Ontario has so far avoided bringing in a curfew such as the one enacted in Quebec last weekend.

Hospitaliz­ations continued to rise in Quebec to 1,523, with 230 people in intensive care. The province reported 2,132 new cases and 64 more deaths due to COVID-19, including1­5 in the past 24 hours.

Quebec’s health minister announced a new strategy to wait up to 90 days before administer­ing booster shots to patients who have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Christian Dube said Thursday it will allow the province to vaccinate more vulnerable seniors and reduce pressure on the health-care system.

Dube said the 90-day interval will be reduced once more vaccines are available.

Canada’s vaccine advisory committee has recommende­d the second dose of approved COVID-19 vaccines be given a maximum of 42 days after the first.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, said there is not enough data to show the efficacy of the vaccines when the second dose is given beyond that time frame.

Njoo said a steady supply of the vaccine is still months away so people must continue to take precaution­s as they wait their turn.

“This is a difficult and pivotal point for Canadians,” Njoo said.

Canada will have received a total of 929,000 doses of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the week. Maj.gen. Dany Fortin, vice-president of logistics at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said that includes delivery of 380,000 doses this week.

Fortin said Canada expects to receive more than one million doses a week of the Pfizer/ Biontech and Moderna vaccines beginning in April.

“This will signal our transition to the ramp-up stage,” Fortin said Thursday.

Limited supply will remain a significan­t issue for the time being, he added.

An organizati­on representi­ng emergency doctors is calling for a clear descriptio­n of who is being prioritize­d for first doses and why.

The Canadian Associatio­n of Emergency Physicians said Wednesday many members in areas with limited human resources have not been vaccinated, while urban providers who have less patient contact appear to have received shots.

The group wants priority to go to those directly caring for patients who are critically ill or suspected of having COVID-19. Many doctors don’t know when they will be vaccinated the associatio­n said.

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