A delay in the delivery of Pfizer and now Moderna vaccines is causing issues with B.C.’s vaccine delivery strategy.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Monday that the province’s supply of doses will be severely hampered as no doses of Pfizer or Moderna are expected this week. That delay in production could last into February.
“We right now, do not know how much, if any, vaccine we’ll be receiving the following two weeks in February,” Henry said at a press conference Monday afternoon.
The provincial health officer says that the production delays will likely have an effect on B.C.’s four-phase immunization strategy.
Second doses for people in “Phase 1” of the rollout — residents and staff at long-term care facilities, First Nation communities, and high-risk health care workers — will be delayed up until the 42nd day after the first dose.
Dr. Henry says this will allow the province to stretch its limited supply of vaccine to finish immunizing long term care populations and to address outbreaks in hospitals.
“We know that the federal gov is doing everything in their power to make sure that our vaccine supply gets back on track …but we need to make some changes to the ‘Phase 1’ that we’re in,” she said.
The government may also have to extend or revisit restrictions as the immunization plan is delayed, Dr. Henry added.
