UPDATE: Ontario’s next Pfizer delivery delayed up to three days as Ottawa gets ready for more pop-up clinics
Posted Jun 20, 2021 08:20:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Just as Ottawa announced new pop-up clinics in priority neighbourhoods this week, the Ontario government announced that the province’s delivery of Pfizer will be delayed by two-to-three days.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the news to CityNews Ottawa on Sunday, but added that Ontario does still have a large supply of Moderna doses which will be used to supplement the delayed Pfizer doses.
“If you had Moderna or Pfizer for your first dose, you can safely take either Moderna or Pfizer for your second dose for strong protection,” a Christian Hasse, a spokesperson for the ministry, said in a statement. “Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are authorized for use in Canada and use a similar mRNA technology, so the vaccines are interchangeable and safe to mix.
To ensure the maximum protection against COVID-19 and the Delta variant, Ontario residents should get vaccinated as soon as they can and book their second dose as soon as they are eligible, the ministry added.
Ottawa Public Health announced earlier this week that it was adding new pop-up clinics throughout the upcoming week in priority neighbourhoods.
Clinics will be situated in the city’s west and south ends.
More details can be found here.
According to OPH, the Pfizer vaccine shipment was expected in the city on Monday, June 21.
“To ensure that vaccine appointments are honoured at immunization clinics over the coming week, the City and Ottawa Public Health will administer the Moderna mRNA vaccine as it is interchangeable with Pfizer,” OPH said in a statement Sunday late afternoon.
So, starting today, individuals who are 18 and over who have an appointment booked at one of the city-run immunization clinics will get the Moderna vaccine.
The priority, OPH added, is to receive two doses of the vaccine to complete the series and be fully protected.
“Clinic staff will ensure residents are aware of which vaccine they will receive. However, there will be no opportunity for residents to request or switch to another type of vaccine. The limited Pfizer vaccine will be reserved for youth 12 to 17 years old.”
However, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said this week that she was pleased that Canada had reached the first major target for getting enough Canadians vaccinated to keep hospital emergency rooms from becoming overcrowded this summer.
In fact, the expected shipment of Moderna doses for July was 11-million, but they'll actually be arriving early.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is on track now to have 68-million doses delivered by the end of July, which is more than enough to fully vaccinate all 33.2-million Canadians over the age of 12.
– With files from Canadian Press
– An earlier version of the story did not include a statement from Ottawa Public Health. The story has been updated with information from OPH as of Sunday evening.
