Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to reassure Canadians that vaccination would increase again within weeks and that the overall goal of getting every willing Canadian vaccinated by September would remain on track.
But it was Ontario’s Prime Minister Doug Ford who flatly voiced the frustration of many provincial leaders as Pfizer continues to lower its schedule for its vaccine delivery to Canada.
“We have to wear these guys like a blanket, I’d be outside that guy’s house. Every time he moved, I said, ‘Where are our vaccines?’ Other people get them, the European Union gets them, why not Canada? That’s my question to Pfizer, we need your support, “Ford said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Canada’s supply of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine comes from the European allotment and not from nearby manufacturing facilities in the US, as the Trump administration made it clear that vaccines would not be exported.
“There’s a factory, a Pfizer factory, six hours in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with the Americans,” Ford said. “My American friends are helping us, we need help again like we did with the PPE. You have a new president, no more excuses, we need your support, and we look forward to your support and that’s a direct message to president. (Joe) Biden, ‘help your neighbor’. ”
Ford made a direct plea to President-elect Joe Biden for a million vaccines for Canada.
The upcoming Biden administration is unlikely to release vaccine doses for export any time soon, as Biden transition officials have stated they are unsure about the current range of vaccines available in the US.
Canadian government officials made it clear on Tuesday that Pfizer’s shortage of supplies would result in a “major reduction” in vaccinations in the coming weeks.
“There will be significant impact in all provinces,” said Major General Dany Fortin, the Canadian commander responsible for the introduction of the vaccine, adding, “Allocation.”
The pandemic curve in Canada is starting to show signs of a downward movement after weeks of lockdown. But hospital admissions remain high, and officials say the total death toll during this second wave could end up being worse than the first.
“We all contribute to reducing the burden on the health system, supporting our healthcare personnel in the difficult task of planning and implementing massive vaccine rollouts, and giving vaccines a longer runway to start working. as access is increasing to all Canadians, ”said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health official at a press conference on Tuesday.
Tam added that an average of about 140 virus-related deaths are reported per day in Canada.