By Canadian Press

Who have provinces pegged to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks?

May 25, 2021 | 1:06 AM

As COVID-19 vaccine supplies ramp up across the country, most provinces and territories have released details of who can expect to receive a shot in the coming weeks.

Health Canada says up to 37 million doses of vaccine could be shipped in May and June, but only 20.3 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and 1.04 million doses of Moderna are confirmed. The remaining 11.3 million doses of Moderna, and another four million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca from various sources are still tentative. 

Provinces initially suspended giving AstraZeneca shots to people under the age of 55 based on an advisory committee’s advice, but their recommendation changed on April 23 to reflect that the shot is safe for anyone aged 30 and older. 

More than 655,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the global vaccine sharing alliance known as COVAX, were scheduled to arrive and be distributed to provinces this week, but most provinces said they would put them on ice in reserve for second doses.

Half of Canada’s population has now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

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The latest federal figures show just over 18 million people had received a shot as of Friday evening (May 21). 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says by the summer, Canada will have enough vaccines so that every eligible resident will have gotten their first dose, and by September, it will have enough doses for everyone to be fully vaccinated.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says it  believes it is safe and effective to offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to adolescents.

Health Canada authorized Pfizer for kids between 12 and 15 years old on May 5, after the company completed a clinical trial which found it was safe and 100 per cent effective at preventing kids in that age group from getting COVID-19.

Here’s a list of the inoculation plans throughout Canada: 

Newfoundland and Labrador

All people in the province aged 12 and older are now able to book an appointment for a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

So far 1.97 per cent (10,321) of the population has been fully vaccinated.

Health Minister John Haggie says the province has 1,480 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine set to expire by the end of the month.

He says if the province cannot use them in time, they’ll be sent off to join the federal vaccine supply chain.

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Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has lowered vaccine eligibility to people aged 25 and up. 

The government said there are about 61,400 eligible people in the 25-to-29 age group who can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines. 

The province has stopped the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine as a first dose.

The Health Department says the decision was based on “an abundance of caution” due to an observed increase in the rare blood-clotting condition linked to this vaccine.

The department also says it will reschedule anyone who was to receive AstraZeneca to instead be inoculated with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna “in a timely manner.”

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Prince Edward Island

In Prince Edward Island, residents as young as 16 can book a COVID-19 vaccine.

People 16 years and older who have certain underlying medical conditions, pregnant woman and eligible members of their household can also get a vaccine.

So far 7.66 per cent (12,156) of the population has been fully vaccinated.

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New Brunswick

In New Brunswick, residents 18 and up can book appointments.

Individuals 16 and older who have two or more chronic health conditions are also eligible.

So far 4.58 per cent (35,702) of the population has been fully vaccinated.

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Quebec

In Quebec, all residents 18 and older are able to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

The province’s health minister says Quebecers 12 to 17 years old will be offered a first dose of COVID-19 by the end of June and will be fully vaccinated by the time they return to school in September.

About 50.5 per cent of Quebecers have received at least one dose.

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Ontario

All adults in Ontario can now book COVID-19 vaccine appointments.

People turning 18 in 2021 can book Pfizer-BioNTech shots.

Youth aged 12 and older can also book appointments across Ontario starting today at 8 a.m.

They can book through the provincial online portal, call centre and through pharmacies offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the only shot authorized by Health Canada for use in youth aged 12 and older.

The age group is becoming eligible a week ahead of schedule, though some regions have already started vaccinating youth at pop-ups and larger clinics.

The province aims to see all eligible Ontarians fully vaccinated by the end of September.

The province is distributing shots to regions on a per-capita basis, after two weeks of sending half of its vaccine supply to hot spots for COVID-19 infections.

Ontario is also resuming use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine but only as a second dose.

Dr. David Williams, the province’s chief medical officer of health, says those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca between March 10 and March 19 during a pilot project at pharmacies and some doctor’s offices in several Ontario communities will be first in line to receive their second dose.

Starting next week, those people could opt to receive the second dose at a 10-week interval − the recommended interval is 12 weeks − in order to use up the 45,000 doses currently in refrigerators in pharmacies and family doctors’ offices that will expire in 10 days. Another 10,000 doses are set to expire next month.

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Manitoba

Anyone aged 12 and up in Manitoba is now eligible to book an appointment for their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

They are available through so-called supersites in large communities as well as certain community clinics. 

Young people aged 12 to 15 can attend the appointment with a parent or bring a signed consent form at the time of their appointment.

The province is also allowing anyone 40 and over to get an Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine through pharmacies and medical clinics, subject to availability. People 30-39 can get a shot if they have certain underlying health conditions such as chronic liver failure or severe obesity.

Some Manitobans who have a priority health condition can book a second-dose appointment for a vaccine, such as those with severe heart failure or certain cancers. 

All Indigenous people in the province will be able to start booking appointments for a second dose of a vaccine starting on Monday.

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Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan residents aged 12 and older are now eligible to book their first COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

A school immunization program for those aged 12-18 will be introduced in June, but eligible residents of that age can also be immunized at clinics offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Anyone 85 and older or anyone who received their first vaccine dose before February 15 can now book their second dose.

Anyone diagnosed with cancer and solid organ transplant recipients will be receiving a letter of eligibility in the mail which will allow them priority access to a second dose.

There are drive-thru and walk-in vaccination clinics in communities across the province.

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Alberta

Every Albertan aged 12 and older is now eligible for a vaccine. 

As of May 18, more than half of all Albertans over the age of 12 had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health has said people who are immunocompromised can book a second dose three of four weeks after their first shot. All other Albertans are eligible to get their second dose three to four months after the first.  

For the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the province lowered the minimum age to 30. They are, however, reserving the remaining supply for second doses when people are eligible.  

More than 250 pharmacies are offering immunizations. Ten physicians’ clinics across the province are also providing shots as part of a pilot project. 

About 15,000 workers at 136 meat-packing plants across the province can also get shots at on-site clinics, pharmacies and clinics. 

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British Columbia

Families can get vaccinated together in British Columbia as the government invites youth between the ages of 12 and 17 to get their COVID-19 shot.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they opted to vaccinate the youth at community clinics instead of in schools based on feedback from families.

Henry said there are 310,000 children in B.C. eligible to get their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved for that age group.

The government said the goal is to have those children vaccinated by the end of the school year.

About 59 per cent of eligible people in B.C. have received their first dose of a vaccine and so-called circuit breaker measures will be lifted next week as case counts have gone down, Henry said.

More than 2.7 million doses of vaccine have been administered, and 138,908 of those are second shots.

Everyone over the age of 12 is now eligible to register online or by phone, allowing them to book an appointment.

People who’ve had a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will have the option of choosing their second shot within a four-month interval in B.C.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 20,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are set to expire at the end of June and were reserved for people who may not be able to get an mRNA vaccine, such as the one made by Pfizer-BioNTech.

But she says more information that’s expected by the first week of June from a study in the United Kingdom on the effectiveness of switching vaccines for the second dose will be shared with B.C. residents.

“You will have the option of receiving the second dose of AstraZeneca and we have stock coming in to be able to support that,” she said Monday. “Or you can take the information once we have it and make your own decision about what you want for your second dose.”

Henry says an increase in the supply of vaccines in the coming weeks means everyone can expect to have their second dose moved up.

Children aged 12 to 17 can now register under the provincial vaccination program.

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Nunavut

Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says Nunavut has placed an order for doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with the federal government to vaccinate people ages 12 to 17 in the territory.

The Moderna vaccine is currently the only one available in Nunavut.

Nunavut has opened vaccinations to anyone 18 and older.

It is also offering shots to rotational workers coming from Southern Canada.

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Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is now offering vaccinations against COVID-19 to young people between 12 and 17.

The territory, which has only been using the Moderna vaccine, recently exchanged some of that for doses of the Pfizer product, which Health Canada has now approved for anyone as young as 12.

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Yukon

The territory will start vaccinating children aged 12 to 17 on May 31.

The government says clinics in most communities will be held in schools, while those in Whitehorse can get their shot at the Coast High Country Inn Convention Centre. The children will be getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The territory says because of limited supply and stricter handling requirements, the vaccine will only be available for a short time. 

It says second doses for those 12 to 17 will start on June 23 and medical travel will be supported for youth who aren’t able to make the clinic date in their community.

The government says more than 75 per cent of all eligible adults have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

That amounts to 26,242 adults who have received their first dose, while the territory says 23,236 have received their second dose.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press