Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was trying to reassure Canadians that vaccine delivery would pick up again in a few weeks and that the overall goal would remain, all Canadians willing to be vaccinated get before September.
But it was Ontario’s Prime Minister Doug Ford who resented many regional leaders as Pfizer continues to cut its vaccine delivery schedule to Canada.
“We have to have those people as a blanket, I’d be outside that guy’s house. Every time he moved, I’d say, ‘Where are our vaccines?’ Other people are getting them, the European Union getting them, why not Canada? That’s my question for Pfizer, we need your support, “Ford said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Canada’s supply of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine comes from the European lot and not from nearby manufacturing facilities in the U.S., as the Trump administration made it clear that vaccines would not be exported.
“There’s a plant, a Pfizer plant, six times in Kalamazoo, Michigan, owned by the Americans,” Ford said. “My American friends will help us out, we need help again as we did with the PPE. You have a new President, there are no more excuses we need your support, and we are look forward to your support and that is a direct message to President (Joe) Biden, ‘help your neighbor. “”
Ford just applied to President Joe Biden for a million vaccines for Canada.
The incoming Biden administration is unlikely to release vaccine doses for export in the short term as Biden transfer officials have said they are unsure about supply vaccines currently available in the US.
Canadian government officials made clear on Tuesday that the decline in deliveries from Pfizer would lead to a “significant reduction” in vaccines in the coming weeks.
“There will be a huge impact across the provinces,” Major Gen. Dany Fortin, the Canadian leader in charge of vaccine distribution, said the “overall impact over the next month is in the range of a 50% reduction in expected distribution.”
The pandemic curve in Canada is starting to show signs of a downturn after weeks of lockouts. But hospitals remain high, and officials say the total death toll during this second wave could be tougher than the first.
“We all want to reduce the burden on the health system, supporting our healthcare staff in the difficult task of designing and implementing a major vaccine rollout and delivery range. longer to start working as access expands to reach all Canadians, “Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada ‘s chief public health officer, said at a news conference Tuesday.
Tam added that on average, about 140 virus-related deaths are reported in Canada every day.