Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford said on Monday that the province expects to face a delay in delivery of the AstraZeneca Plc COVID-19 vaccine as it faces significant backlash for its response to the Ontario pandemic. .
“The Prime Minister received word today from our officials to be prepared for delays of two AstraZeneca shipments expected from the federal government later this month and next month,” said a statement from the Ford office.
Ford has come in for a lot of criticism in recent days as the Ontario pandemic got out of hand and he has tried to shift the blame to the federal government’s slow supply of vaccines.
No other province reported a drop in AstraZeneca’s supply on Monday. A federal government source who was not authorized to speak in public said it was unclear what the Ontario Prime Minister was referring to as there had been no change in AstraZeneca’s delivery schedules since early April.
An Ontario government source maintained that the shipments were being delayed.
Canada’s most populous province said on Sunday it would lower the minimum age for AstraZeneca vaccine recipients from 55 to 40. Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia said on Monday they would also lower the age. read more
Ontario announced 4,447 new cases on Monday, with a 10.5% positivity rate and 19 additional deaths. The rising caseload has brought hospitals in the province to the brink of collapse.
On Friday, Ontario announced measures to close its borders with the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. But the next day, it reversed its decision to close playgrounds and amended the granting of additional powers to the police to enforce a stay-at-home order. read more
Doctors and pharmacists had raised concerns that not enough people had signed up to take the AstraZeneca injection, citing fears of blood clots.
Two people in Canada developed blood clots after receiving the injection and are recovering. UK regulators have estimated the risk to be about four in a million.
Nadjla Banaei, client care coordinator at South Riverdale Community Health Center in Toronto, has expressed concerns to several patients about the AstraZeneca vaccine. They may have underlying health issues and be concerned about what they’ve read, she said.
The move to lower the age bracket increases the pool of potential AstraZeneca recipients, but doesn’t necessarily quell the fears surrounding it, she said.
‘Why did they suddenly get older? What should we communicate with people? ‘ Banaei said. “With all these changes, people will naturally hesitate.”
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said last weekend that the provinces are free to offer AstraZeneca to anyone over the age of 18.
The province on British Columbia’s west coast said on Monday it would order police to stop drivers to make sure they don’t travel outside of their communities.
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