Southlake closes Newmarket vaccine centre days after Premier Ford visit

Pfizer vaccine is delayed as Moderna also announces its vaccine will be delayed in February

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 1, 2021
Jeremy Grimaldi

Just days after Premier Doug Ford called Southlake's vaccine centre "absolutely incredible," it's been closed due to a lack of vaccines.

The hospital announced it has suspended all activities at its COVID-19 vaccination headquarters, at the Ray Twinney Centre, like many others across the province.

After it closed at 6 p.m. on Friday, the hospital further announced it will take more than a week to start back up, around Feb. 8, when the hospital expects shipments to resume.

“The Vaccination Task Force has decided to postpone appointments at vaccination centres for the next few days,” the statement reads. “This is being done to ensure the most vulnerable residents in long-term care and high-risk retirement homes can be vaccinated.”

The closure comes as Moderna announces that it plans to delay some of its shipments, somewhere between 20 and 25 per cent of its vaccine, in February.

This means tens of thousands of vaccines will be delayed as Canada’s death numbers reach closer to 20,000.

“Ontario will experience a reduction in planned shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,” the statement from the hospital further reads. “Pfizer has slowed production as it expands its manufacturing facility in Europe.”

Although PM Justin Trudeau hoped to reach six million vaccines in Canada by March, this number now seems in doubt.

The centre, which has potential to vaccinate 4,000 people per day and up to 8,000 if the second rink is added, had been working on vaccinating long-term care workers, essential caregivers and hospital workers.