COVID-19: B.C.'s vaccine coffers to be dry by Monday, but there's hope for Pfizer and Moderna deliveries next week - Vancouver Sun

Henry said there are some Moderna vaccines arriving next week, but would be less than promised

Author of the article:

David Carrigg

Publishing date:

Feb 18, 2021  •  14 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Dr. Bonnie Henry says more than 6,000 people have died from overdoses over the past five years. Photo by DON CRAIG/GOVERNMENT OF B.C. /PNG

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At its current clip, B.C. will run out of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday.

On Wednesday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 4,260 immunizations, bringing the average for the past five days to about 2,500 a day.

Before supplies of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines began to dry up in late January, there were around 5,000 immunizations a day in B.C., with a peak of over 7,000.

B.C. has around 12,500 doses of vaccine on hand, based on B.C. Centre for Disease Control data. At 2,500 doses a day, that supply will be used up by Monday.

Henry said some Moderna vaccine doses are arriving next week, but fewer than expected. Pfizer has promised Health Canada it will deliver 403,000 doses by the end of this week, and then half a million a week for six weeks after that.

Based on population, B.C. should get around 55,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine next week, as it is distributed by Health Canada.

“I think what you are going to see is the story on vaccinations is still being written,” the federal procurement minister, Anita Anand, told a Canadian Chamber of Commerce event on Wednesday. “Canada is going to see a very, very steep incline (in vaccination deliveries) in the next weeks and months ahead.”

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Moderna has promised Canada 1.5 million doses by the end of March, with around 200,000 of those for B.C.

Henry reported 427 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and three deaths.

There are 4,150 active cases of the disease, of which 232 are in hospital including 63 in intensive care. Those numbers are fairly steady.

There are 7,238 people in self-isolation after being exposed to the disease.

There have been no new outbreaks in long-term care or acute care facilities, and two were declared over, leaving 19 active outbreaks in health-care settings.

Most residents and staff at B.C.’s long-term care facilities have been vaccinated, and vaccines are now being offered to critical health-care workers and as second doses.

On Wednesday, Toronto’s top doctor said she has never been as worried about the future of the pandemic as she is today — after 56 cases of COVID-19 variants of concern in the city.

B.C. has reported 60 cases of variants of concern.

There are four variants circulating that the World Health Organization considers to be of concern: P1, B117, B1351 and B1525. B.C. has reported cases of all but the P1 — which was identified in Brazil.

Greater Toronto has a larger population than B.C. by almost one million people.

A third potential vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, has been approved by the World Health Organization and is under review in Canada. The Canadian government has a deal with AstraZeneca to get 500,000 doses in March if the vaccine gets Health Canada approval. That vaccine is used heavily in the U.K.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also subject to Health Canada review but has not been approved anywhere in the world.

— With files from Canadian Press

dcarrigg@postmedia.com

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2021-02-18 10:18:45Z
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