Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford said Monday that the province expects to face a delay in supplying AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine as it faces a major setback due to its treatment of the pandemic in Ontario.
“Our officials have notified the Prime Minister today that he is prepared for delays in two AstraZeneca shipments scheduled by the federal government later this month and next,” a Ford office statement said.
Ford has faced widespread criticism in recent days because Ontario’s pandemics were out of control and has tried to shift the blame to the small number of federal government vaccines.
No other province reported a drop in AstraZeneca supply on Monday. A federal government source who was not allowed to speak publicly said it was unclear what the Ontario prime minister was referring to, as there had been no changes to AstraZeneca’s delivery schedules since early April.
An Ontario government source insisted shipments were being delayed.
Canada’s most populous province said Sunday it would reduce the minimum age of AstraZeneca vaccine recipients to 40 out of 55. Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia said Monday they would also reduce the age. Read more
Ontario announced 4,447 new cases on Monday, with a positivity rate of 10.5% and 19 more deaths. The rise in cases has pushed hospitals in the province to the brink.
On Friday, Ontario announced measures to close borders with the provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. But the next day, he reversed his decision to close the playgrounds and modified the granting of extra powers to the police to enforce a stay-at-home order. Read more
Doctors and pharmacists had expressed concern that there were not enough people to sign up for the AstraZeneca shot, citing fears of blood clots.
Two people in Canada have developed clots after receiving the shot and are recovering. UK regulators have estimated the risk to be around four in a million.
Nadjla Banaei, a customer service coordinator at South Riverdale Community Health Center in Toronto, has caused several patients to express concern about the AstraZeneca vaccine. They may have underlying health conditions and worry about what they have read, he said.
The decision to reduce the age group expands AstraZeneca’s potential target audience, but it doesn’t necessarily calm fears around it, he said.
“Why did they leave the age suddenly? What are we supposed to communicate to people?” Banaei said. “Of course, with all these changes, people will hesitate.”
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said over the weekend that the provinces were free to offer AstraZeneca to anyone over the age of 18.
The west coast province of British Columbia said Monday it would direct police to stop drivers to make sure they do not travel outside their communities.
Our standards: the principles of trust of Thomson Reuters.