British Columbia’s health minister says the reduction in shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Canada will have a significant effect, but just in the immediate period.
Adrian Dix said the limited supply of vaccines is because of a delay of shipments announced by the pharmaceutical giant will affect vaccination plans through February and March in B.C.
“Anytime we hear we’re getting less, it’s not good news, because it delays people getting vaccines in bc. What it will really affect is the February into the early part of March,” said Dix.
The shortage means the province will receive about half of the 50,000 doses it was supposed to get through that period, Dix said at a news conference Friday.
“And obviously, any time we get reports that we’re going to get more vaccine, we’re happy,” he said. “And any time we get reports that we’re going to get less vaccine, we’re not as happy.”
The shortage could mean that health officials have to revisit the 35-day gap between providing the first and second doses of the vaccine, he said.
“So, what it means for British Columbia is it’ll have some effect, some significant effect, on this stage of the priority one groups that we’ve laid out over when they get their doses,” he said. “And a contributing factor to that is the discussion of second doses and when they come forward.”
RELATED: COVID-19 vaccines and variants mean masks and social restrictions likely to stay until fall
The Canadian Press
