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Premier Doug Ford is behind information provided by his health minister about the number of COVID-19 vaccines that the province hopes to receive in early 2021, although federal officials refuse to confirm the number.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said Wednesday during Question Period that Ontario will receive 1.6 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 800,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the first three months of 2021, assuming both are eventually approved for l use by Health Canada.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu, however, declined to confirm the assignment as she spoke to reporters in Ottawa later in the day.
Liberal MP and Health Minister’s Parliamentary Secretary Darren Fisher also appears to have questioned the veracity of the information during an interview with Evan Solomon on CTV’s Power Play in which he said he was “unaware” of where Elliott is. got his numbers.. “
Asked about the confusion during his daily COVID-19 briefing at Queen’s Park on Thursday, Ford said he has since spoken to senior Health Ministry officials and was assured that the estimates had been provided by federal government officials.
He said they were told “for planning purposes” that Ontario would receive 1.6 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 800,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, Elliott reported.
As both vaccines need to be administered twice, 21 days apart, initial shipments would likely be enough to vaccinate approximately 1.2 million Ontarians with priority likely to be given to health care workers and home residents. of long-term care in the beginning.
“I appreciate the feds that it will come out because everyone wants it, but really why we shouldn’t get 40% like we always do,” Ford said. “There shouldn’t be any discrepancy.”
Pfizer said Wednesday morning that a final phase 3 trial analysis of its vaccine found it to be 95% effective and that it would seek emergency use clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration “within a few minutes. days “.
Moderna, meanwhile, said last week that preliminary analysis of its phase 3 study found their vaccine to be 94.5 percent effective.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was pressured on the estimates given by Elliott during a briefing in Ottawa on Thursday but also refused to confirm them.
He said his government wants to ensure that when vaccines arrive, “they are delivered as quickly as possible to vulnerable Canadians as a priority and then to all Canadians.”
But he said that at this moment discussions with the provinces are still “in a preliminary phase”.
“I think there are a lot of numbers circulating among health officials as to what possible vaccine deliveries might be, but we won’t confirm those plans until we have a lot more certainty around them,” he said. “Yes, the vaccines are on the way and yes, Canada will be ready and have the right plan to make sure we’re bringing them into the country, but right now it’s too preliminary to make any definitive announcements.”
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