By Staff
May 2nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
When and where can you get the vaccine?
Ontario has a three-phase plan that prioritizes vaccines for those at greatest risk of severe illness and those who care for them. As vaccine supply is delivered across the province, public health units may have different vaccine administration rates based on local context.
Ontario is using different channels to administer the vaccines and reach most of the population. Implementation will vary as each channel, priority population and vaccine has specific criteria that require flexibility.
All of this depends on the reliable delivery of the vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is now being delivered in volume regularly.
Vaccines arriving regularly –
Premier Doug Ford getting his receives first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. .
When you are losing confidence in your elected officials and their policies it is difficult to avoid commenting on their perceived incompetence, however, this criticism must be viewed in the bigger picture and pales when compared to the pain and loss that Covid has caused and is still causing in other countries.
In the US, according to the CDC, if it’s not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval (21 DAYS) between Covid vaccinations and a delay is unavoidable. As a consequence, CDC state that the second dose of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines may be administered up to six weeks or ~42 DAYS, after the first dose. This delay period is the result of a number of experimental studies.
On the other hand, the UK have been less aggressive and state that “the second dose of both vaccines “can now be given up to ~84 DAYS BUT they emphasize that “these protocol changes have little or no support “ In other words, the 84 days is not based on any clinical trials or studies!
Now in Canada. the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) take an even more dramatic approach and recommend delaying the second doses of COVID-19 vaccines by up to 120 DAYS — the LONGEST known interval by any COUNTRY in the WORLD
Note that even Pfizer has stated that their trial data does not support the fact that the first dose alone is effective BEYOND 21 DAYS after injection. A fact that was recently highlighted in a reputable medical journal (The Lancet) – “Longer follow-up to assess long-term effectiveness of a single dose is needed to inform a second dose delay policy.”
So, what’s happening? There are 3 diverse viewpoints (US, UK, and Canada) who are all ‘pushing the vaccination’ envelope beyond the recommendations of the manufacturer. The goal of these envelope pushers (most blatantly Canada) is obviously to increase the number of people given their first dose and thereby are partially protected.
Such an experimental 120-day Canadian policy (not based on ANY empirical data) is deemed necessary because of the liberal’s (aka Trudeau) inability to get the necessary vaccines – https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56035306
Those who received the vaccine at the beginning of the year could, according to Pfizer, lose their protection well before they receive their second dose since it is “the second dose gives you the most protection from becoming seriously ill and/or hospitalized due to COVID-19. For example, with Pfizer, studies show 52% effectiveness after the first dose and 95% after the second dose. Over time the 52% will obviously drop and the obvious question is the rate of this drop!
The lack of a TIMELY second vaccine dose could very well lead to a fourth and deadlier Covid phase in which the initial one-shot residents are now the most vulnerable targets!
Let’s hope that the Federal and Provincial governments are considering such a scenario and that they are diligently watching the Covid infection data as it unfolds!
Unfortunately your charts on Phase One and Phase Two does not show that for many of these people with weakened or compromised immune systems, the vaccination won’t be very effective until they receive a second dose in the 3 week time frame. Currently only about 2.6% of Canadians are fully vaccinated.
Mr. Wooster is correct. Another “rhinoceros in the room” that is not going to be addressed; several people are waiting for a Pfizer vaccine. In some cases, very sound reasons but it is a personal choice in the end. ( I’m not arguing either way about their choice. ) And Pf is being doled out sparingly. And I expect will continue to be until a lot of the AZ is used up. Just my thinking, anyway…..