No vaccines have been administered in Waterloo Region since Thursday

There have not been any COVID-19 vaccines given in Waterloo Region since Jan. 28 as the impact of the supply shortage in Canada has been felt in the area.

So far there have been 15,998 vaccinations done, a number which remains unchanged since last week.

“The GRH clinic paused at end of day Thursday, Jan 28,” explained Waterloo Public Health spokesperson Julie Kalbfleisch.

“We are waiting on more supply and focusing on second doses with clinics starting tomorrow for long term care and high-risk retirement homes.”

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She said that does not mean that they are completely out of vaccine but they are just focusing on second doses.

The number of vaccinations being done in the area slumped in mid-January once it was learned that Pfizer would be shorting its supply to Canada as it worked to upgrade its plant in Europe.

The province is expecting to receive a minimal amount of supply of the Pfizer vaccine over the first two weeks of the month, a reduction of as much as 80 per cent of the originally promised quantity.

There will also be a shortage in how much Moderna vaccine is shipped into Ontario this week as the number is expected to be down 20 per cent.