By rdnewsNOW staff

appointments may need to be rebooked

Alberta long-term care residents remain priority in looming slowdown of COVID vaccine

Jan 19, 2021 | 6:17 PM

EDMONTON – Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says residents in long-term care and supportive living facilities will remain the priority as the province grapples with a looming slowdown in COVID-19 vaccine supply.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says health officials may also have to rebook vaccination appointments for those getting the required second dose.

Hinshaw made the announcement just hours after the federal government said there will be no shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine next week and reduced shipments for about three weeks after that. The slowdown is due to Pfizer retrofitting its Belgium-based plant in order to ramp up production down the road.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Tuesday he is extremely concerned over Pfizer’s latest announcement.

“A sharp decrease in vaccines coming to Alberta may also further delay our plans to expand vaccination to all seniors over the age of 75 in the community and individuals over the age of 65 in First Nations communities and Metis Settlements around the province,” Shandro warned.

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“We would like to vaccinate many, many more Albertans as soon as possible, but we need more vaccines. Alberta has the capacity to deliver about 50,000 doses per week and rapidly expand distribution, but we lack supply.”

Shandro says the provincial government will continue to lobby the federal government to increase the supply of vaccine as soon as possible.

As of Jan. 18, 92,315 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the province.

Alberta reported 456 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 740 patients in hospital.

There are 119 patients in intensive care and 1,463 people in the province have died from COVID-19.

(With file from Dean Bennett – The Canadian Press)