COVID-19 update: 63,000 fewer vaccine doses than expected

Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced that vaccinations will be on hold longer and that fewer shipments will be expected in Alberta in the coming weeks.

“For the third time this month, the Federal Government has notified us through bureaucratic channels Alberta’s Pfizer vaccine allocation will be slashed yet again. This is a grim situation that seems to be getting worse with every passing week,” said Shandro.

The Provincial government was originally expecting 468,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of March but now there will be 63,000 fewer doses.

The Health Minister was unhappy with the outcome and is calling out to the Federal Government to do more to increase the supply of doses. In early, Janaury the province was notified that the there would be a reduction in doses anywhere from 20 to 80 per cent.

“We were already at a standstill this past week doing no new first doses because of the cut in the supply from Pfizer and that’s why I am so frustrated by the news today and the latest in a series of unfulfilled promises from the federal government,” said Shandro.

With a smaller supply the province’s vaccination plan will take longer to complete and many high-risk individuals will have to wait a bit longer for their first doses.