Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford said Monday that the province expects to face a delay in supplying the AstraZeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine as it faces a significant recovery in treating the Ontario pandemic.
“The prime minister was notified today by our officials to be prepared for delays in two shipments of AstraZeneca expected from the federal government later this month and next,” a Ford bureau statement said.
Ford has faced widespread criticism in recent days as the Ontario pandemic spirals out of control and has tried to shift the blame for the slow supply of federal vaccines.
No other province reported a drop in AstraZeneca supplies on Monday. A federal government source who was not allowed to speak in public said it was unclear what the Ontario prime minister was talking about because there had been no change in AstraZeneca’s delivery programs since early April.
An Ontario government source insisted the shipments were delayed.
Canada’s most populous province said on Sunday it would reduce the minimum age for AstraZeneca vaccine recipients to 40 from 55. Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia said on Monday they would reduce their age. Read more
Ontario announced 4,447 new cases on Monday, with a positivity rate of 10.5% and another 19 deaths. The increase in the number of cases has pushed hospitals in the province one step closer.
On Friday, Ontario announced measures to close borders with the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. The next day, however, it overturned the decision to close the playgrounds and amended the granting of additional powers to the police to enforce a residence order. Read more
Doctors and pharmacists have expressed concern that not enough people have signed up to take the AstraZeneca shot, citing fears of blood clots.
Two people in Canada developed clots after being shot and recovering. UK regulators have estimated the risk to be around four in a million.
Nadjla Banaei, a client care coordinator at South Riverdale Community Health Center in Toronto, has raised several concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine. They may have underlying health conditions and worry about what they read, she said.
The move to reduce the age group expands the group of potential AstraZeneca beneficiaries, but does not necessarily remove the fears around it, she said.
“Why did they suddenly drop old? What should we tell people?” Banaei said. “Of course, with all these changes, people will hesitate.”
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said over the weekend that the provinces are free to offer AstraZeneca to anyone over the age of 18.
The West Coast province of British Columbia said on Monday it would direct police to stop drivers to ensure they do not travel outside their communities.
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.