Province sending more Pfizer, Moderna shots to pharmacies,

Critics say AstraZeneca pause has raised more questions than answers

Ontario is trying to fill the gap left by pausing first doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for COVID-19 by pushing Pfizer and Moderna shots into almost 2,500 pharmacies and more primary care clinics across the province by the end of May.

That will open a window for thousands of people who were booked for AstraZeneca jabs at drug stores, although the pace of inoculation will initially slow because of “more challenging” aspects involved in the handling of the other two vaccines, health officials told a background briefing Wednesday.

While a review of AstraZeneca is underway following an increased incidence of rare blood clots, the province will hold 254,500 doses due to arrive next week for second doses pending the reassessment, Health Minister Christine Elliott said Wednesday.

With the 50,000 AstraZeneca doses now on hand expiring in stages between the end of May and the end of June, she acknowledged “a few” could expire before decisions are made on how to proceed with the vaccine — but said safety comes first.

Opposition parties urged Premier Doug Ford’s government to have a plan to use them quickly if AstraZeneca vaccinations resume after Ontario consults with Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

“We want to get those shots in arms, if possible, before they expire,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner, who questioned why Ford did not appear with Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones at their news conference to update the provincial vaccination rollout that has now reached 50 per cent of adults with first doses.

“He’s hit some rocky waters, and instead of steering us through them he’s gone into hiding,” Schreiner added, referring to the expected extension of the stay-at-home order to June 2 and calling on Ford “to show he can answer tough questions and be held accountable.”

A week ago, Ford emerged from 14 days in isolation after an exposure to a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19. He has cut back dramatically on his appearances before the media and in the legislature.

Critics said there are more questions than answers after the pause of AstraZeneca, with no firm time lines on the reassessment or details on second doses for the almost 854,000 people who have received that vaccine or the related Covishield shots since they became available in early March.

“It’s all pending the review,” Elliott told reporters.

At this point, it’s not known when or if people who got AstraZeneca will be able to get a second shot of it, although Elliott said studies on mixing it with a booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines look “promising.”

Chief medical officer Dr. David Williams said studies from the United Kingdom, where AstraZeneca is used widely, show the risk of clots after a second dose is extremely low, at one in a million. That compares to the latest figures in Ontario, where first dose risk was recently assessed at one in 60,000 recipients.

Elliott said she does not expect widespread pushback from Ontarians if AstraZeneca is cleared for use again, but one senior medical official told the briefing some reluctance or refusals are anticipated.

“That’s one of the considerations in second-dose planning,” the official said.

New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath, who got an AstraZeneca vaccination at a pharmacy in her hometown of Hamilton a few weeks ago, said she has no qualms.

“If they green-light it, I’ll be happy to get my second shot,” she said.

Discussions are underway on whether the option of second doses might be provided sooner than the four-month interval Ontario has been following to allow more people to get a first dose. The product monograph for AstraZeneca states second doses are suggested between one and three months after the first injection.

Ontario has delayed second doses of all vaccines for most adults for four months to allow more people to get the protection of a first dose. The target is to reach or surpass 65 per cent by the end of May. About 54 per cent of adults in designated hot zones have been vaccinated with half of all shipments going to them this month.