News of a looming shortage of COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario has come as a surprise to many, after a slow start to the province’s rollout.
However, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP and Ontario’s Minster of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton says the government is working on getting more supply, ASAP.
“We, here in Ontario as of the last few days are now vaccinating more people per day than anywhere else in the country, we’re up to just over 15,000 vaccinations per day, but we are running out,” McNaughton says. “Obviously, a global pandemic, every country in the world is after vaccines right now. We’re pushing the feds to get more of those to us.”
Provincial stats released by Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls’ office show as of January 5th, more than 60,000 people in Ontario have been given a COVID-19 vaccine.
To-date, Ontario has received approximately 90,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and roughly 53,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
McNaughton admits there’s been a bit of a learning curve.
“It’s unprecedented at times, the first time I guess in many, many generations that we’ve had to roll out a vaccination program province-wide. General Rick Hillier, who is leading the vaccine distribution here in the province admitted there were certainly bumps in the road through Christmas, but everything is on track as far as the number of vaccinations per day.”
High priority regions including Toronto, Peel, York, and Windsor-Essex are hoping to have the first round of vaccines to long term care residents, health care workers, and essential care givers by January 21st.
Still no word yet though on exactly when the vaccine will be available to residents in Chatham-Kent.