Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that the province expects a delay in the supply of the AstraZeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine because it has suffered a significant setback for its handling of the Ontario pandemic.
“The Prime Minister has been notified today by our officials to be prepared for delays in two deliveries of AstraZeneca that are expected from the federal government later this month and next,” reads a statement from Ford’s office.
Ford has come under widespread criticism over the past few days because of the pandemic in Ontario that is out of control, and he has been trying to shift the blame to the sluggish supply of vaccines coming from the federal government.
No other province reported a decline in AstraZeneca on Monday. A federal government source who was not authorized to speak in public said it was unclear what Ontario’s prime minister was referring to, as there had been no change to AstraZeneca’s delivery schedules since early April.
A government source in Ontario insisted the shipment was delayed.
The most populous province in Canada on Sunday said it would lower the minimum age for recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine to 40 from 55. Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia said on Monday they would also lower the age. read more
Ontario announced 4447 new cases on Monday, with a positive percentage of 10.5% and another 19 deaths. The increasing caseload has pushed the province’s hospitals to the brink.
Ontario on Friday announced measures to close borders with the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. But the next day, he reversed his decision to close playgrounds and amended the allocation of extra powers to the police to enforce a stay-at-home order. read more
Doctors and pharmacists have expressed concern that there are not enough people to take the AstraZeneca shot, citing fears of blood clots.
Two people in Canada developed and repaired blood clots after receiving the shot. British regulators have estimated that the risk is around four in one million.
Nadjla Banaei, client care coordinator at the South Riverdale Community Health Center in Toronto, said several patients expressed concern about the vaccine against AstraZeneca. They may have underlying health conditions and are concerned about what they read, she said.
The move to lower the age group increases the pool of potential recipients of AstraZeneca, but its not necessarily fearful.
“Why did they drop age all of a sudden? What are we supposed to communicate to people?” Said Banaei. “With all these changes, people are obviously going to be reluctant.”
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said at the weekend that the provinces are free to offer AstraZeneca to anyone over 18.
The West Coast province, British Columbia, said Monday that police must stop drivers to make sure they are not traveling outside their communities.
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