The Pfizer vaccine. (Government of Alberta)

By Sheldon Spackman

Supply Shortage

Central Zone runs out of COVID vaccine

Jan 13, 2021 | 4:48 PM

Officials with Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirm the Central Zone has completely run out of vaccine to inoculate against COVID-19.

AHS spokesperson Melissa Ballantyne says it happened over the weekend.

“AHS has the capacity to deliver 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine per week, subject to vaccine supply coming into Alberta,” says Ballantyne in a statement to rdnewsNOW. “Providing immunizations is not an issue – supply is.”

Ballantyne says while AHS has the ability and capacity to complete all immunizations at long-term care (LTC) and designated supportive living (DSL) facilities by the end of the week, they may not have the required vaccine supply to achieve that.

“Due to a shortage of the Moderna vaccine this week, AHS was unable to complete planned immunization of about 2,000 long-term care and designated supportive living residents in South, Central and Edmonton Zones,” adds Ballantyne. “We will be immunizing additional long-term care and designated supportive living residents as soon as possible after product arrives on Friday, the estimated date of arrival.”

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Ballantyne says AHS simply needs additional product.

“For example, in Calgary Zone, approximately 1,500 available appointments for healthcare workers had to be closed so that vaccine could be used to complete immunization of long-term care and designated supportive living residents,” she explains.

“Central Zone completely ran out of vaccine over the weekend. Numerous North Zone sites ran out of vaccines over the past few days, and South Zone had to reduce the number of available appointments.”

Premier Jason Kenney has said the province hopes to start rolling out COVID-19 vaccines to the general public as early as this summer.

He made the comments during a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday night.

Kenney added, however, it will depend on vaccine supply from the federal government.

According to the Government of Canada, as of Jan. 7, Alberta has received a total of 59,800 doses of vaccine so far, (42,900 Pfizer & 16,900 Moderna).