Ontario lacks AstraZeneca supply ahead of second-shot eligibility: Elliott

Torontosun.com
May 11, 2021
Antonella Artuso

Ontario does not yet have an adequate supply of the AstraZeneca as some people become eligible for their second shot, Health Minister Christine Elliott says.

“I can say I had the AstraZeneca shot myself so I’m in that category of people that are wondering what their second shot will be,” Elliott said Monday.

Ontario lacks AstraZeneca supply ahead of second-shot eligibility: Elliott

Close sticky video
The province is looking at the experience with mixing vaccines in other jurisdictions as well as awaiting advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and Health Canada, she said.

Ontario put 94,093 vaccine shots into arms Sunday, and more than 6.2 million people in the province have had at least one dose.

As of May 3, 811,000 doses of AstraZeneca had been administered.

The province’s message to its residents has been to get the first vaccine available whether it was an mRNA vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna or a viral vector-based vaccine such as AstraZeneca, but now it’s possible some people will get one of each.

Pfizer doses, in particular, are expected in large numbers over the next six weeks.

Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said Monday that some Ontarians may choose to wait until they are eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna shot, usually administered through mass vaccines and similar settings.

“What is your risk of exposure to COVID?” Yaffe said. “If you’re someone who is staying at home, and you’re really not going out and your risk is quite low, you might want to consider how long will it be until you can get the mRNA vaccine, versus someone who’s in a hot zone who has to go to work.”

Ontario reported 2,716 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, based on the relatively low number of 27,175 tests.

There were 807 new cases in Toronto, 707 in Peel Region, 294 in York Region, 168 in Durham Region, 106 in Hamilton, 96 in Niagara Region, 95 in Halton Region and 80 in Ottawa.

Variants of concern (VOC), particularly the strain first identified in the United Kingdom, are responsible for most infections in the province.

Hospitalizations are a key indicator in the decision-making process for lockdowns -- and 1,632 patients with COVID-19 were in hospital with 828 in intensive care and 547 on ventilators.