Federal officials vowing to work with provinces after more Moderna delays
Posted April 15, 2021 11:39 am.
Last Updated April 15, 2021 11:47 am.
Once again a Moderna vaccine delivery to Canada is facing delays with a shipment expected next week being pushed into May.
CityNews learned that the Ford government has been informed of the delay of half a million doses.
There were 500,000 Moderna doses that were initially supposed to arrive in the country on April 19, that was pushed back April 29, and now the arrival is not expected until May 3.
Provinces have complained that this follows another delay from the drugmaker and it is seriously causing logistical problems for their vaccine rollout, especially in Ontario where cases and hospitalizations are spiking significantly.
Major General Dany Fortin says they are in constant contact with provincial officials.
“We are working closely with provinces and territories to risk manage this efficiently,” says Fortin. “I think it’s worth mentioning that we are fully aware that provinces are making adjustments and we are trying to narrow this down as much as possible.”
Ontario did receive just over 300,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week, though that shipment arrived after a delay.
Both the province and Toronto’s top doctor have said the delay in the latest shipment of Moderna vaccines was to blame for the supply shortages in the province and vaccination clinics in the GTA.
“We are only stocking our clinics with just enough vaccine to see us through until the next delivery,” Dr. Eileen de Villa said. “There were vaccines that were anticipated to arrive on a certain date. Unfortunately, that date was missed.”
Procurement minister Anita Anand says the issue surrounding the delays is with the quality assurance process with the company, which is trying to address it.
Moderna is expected to deliver 2.8 million doses in May in two separate shipments.
Canada has received 12.7 million doses of Moderna so far and 8.9 million have been administered.
Canada still expects to get every adult vaccinated fully — with both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines or one shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson — by the end of September at the latest.
Anand says she is in the midst of negotiating new vaccine contracts to nail down supplies of vaccine booster shots if they’re needed next year, though the first priority remains getting doses now.
With files from the Canadian Press
