Health officials warn the Pfizer vaccine will be limited at first, and doesn’t signify the end of COVID-19
UPDATE: On Dec. 9 Health Canada approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in Canada.
On Dec. 7 Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Canada could expect to have the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine as early as next week, pending regulatory approval.
The vaccine will require two doses per person, given weeks apart to be effective, and the initial shipment will contain up to 249,000 doses, CBC News reported.
Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam, public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo, and former NATO commander Maj. Gen. Dany Fortin, who is leading the vaccine distribution process, gave an update on Tuesday, Dec. 8 about the rollout plan for the coronavirus vaccine in Canada.
In the update, they said initial supplies will be limited and distributed to select delivery sites such as hospitals first.
They stressed that control over the pandemic will not come quickly, and that during the rollout it remains crucial that we continue with public health measures.
“We need to keep telling ourselves this is not a race to the finish, but a test of our collective effort of resolve, and we will endure,” Njoo said.
There have been 12,828 coronavirus deaths in Canada as of Dec. 8, with over 1,370 new cases over the weekend, Njoo said. Over the past seven days an average of over 2,680 cases were being treated in hospitals, with about 530 in critical care, and an average of 92 deaths were reported each day.
Guelph manufacturer, Danby Appliances, has begun taking orders for their new freezer line that can store the vaccines.
The freezers can reach temperatures of minus 80C, which is necessary for mRNA vaccines like the pending Pfizer vaccine which requires hyper-cold temperatures to be stored safely.
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