The number of COVID-19 vaccinations given out on a daily basis in London-Middlesex is expected to increase over the next several weeks thanks to a major boost in shipments of the Moderna vaccine, local health officials said Monday.
The region is expected to receive 17,000 Moderna doses weekly over the next two to three weeks, on top of the normal weekly Pfizer allotment of 25,000 doses, for a combined 42,000 doses per week. The first major Moderna shipment is scheduled to arrive sometime this coming weekend.
As a result, starting next Monday, health officials say the region’s mass vaccination clinics will be able to immunize around 6,000 people per day compared to the current rate of 4,000. The region’s maximum capacity is roughly 10,000 doses per day.
“Going from 25,000 per week up to 42,000 per week, that’s a huge jump, and it’s exactly the sort of level of availability of vaccine that we’ve been hoping for, waiting for, planning for, for some time,” Dr. Chris Mackie, the region’s medical officer of health, said during Monday’s media briefing.
“We expect to have another large delivery of Moderna, we don’t exactly know the number on that yet, but that will be coming later next week.”
Health officials say the boost in vaccine doses means they’ll be able to accelerate local second doses sooner. Officials were in talks with the province “about what exactly that will look like,” Mackie said, adding that an announcement is expected Tuesday.
In London-Middlesex, people 70 and older, and people of any age who got their first shot on or before April 18, are currently able to rebook their second dose, along with certain individuals under 70 who are high-risk health-care workers.
Seven Ontario regions that have been designated Delta variant hot spots are allowing people of all ages to rebook a second dose if their first was on or before May 9. That date, Mackie said, “certainly… will be a consideration” locally when it comes to accelerated local doses.
“Again, we’ll be speaking with the province and confirming that, hopefully (Tuesday) morning.”
The increased vaccines are due to a federal procurement of a large shipment of Moderna doses, Mackie said.
Last week, the Massachusetts-based company said it would start shipping Canada’s doses from the U.S. instead of Europe, with 7.1 million doses to arrive between June 14 and June 21.
On Monday, Ottawa announced that the company would now ship 8.7 million doses in that time frame instead, with two separate shipments of 2.9 million doses this week and another 2.9 million doses shipped next week.
With the expected influx of vaccines, Mackie said the health unit would reorient itself to focus on the vaccine campaign, temporarily redeploying staff and winding down most of its services, excluding those where “we know that there are absolutely critical issues that have to continue to be addressed.”
Last week, the health unit issued a call for more qualified staff to work at the region’s mass vaccination clinics and mobile clinics. More than 1,000 resumes had been submitted by Saturday, Mackie said.
The Moderna news comes amid ongoing concerns about the more contagious Delta variant, which modelling released last week by Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table suggested could become the dominant strain in Ontario this summer.
“We know that the Delta variant … requires two doses for full protection. For the vast majority of COVID strains, one dose provides about 90 per cent protection. For the Delta variant, that’s more like 30 to 40 per cent,” Mackie said.
“The fact that we have access to this huge allotment of vaccine right in time to prepare for Delta variant — we’ve had one case, really limited activity in this community of Delta variant, but we know it’s becoming a driver in places like Peel and some of the other GTA and northern communities.”
First doses are continuing at the region’s four mass vaccination clinics as well as through mobile clinics, pharmacies and other locations. All residents 12 and older can get the vaccine, with youth eligible only for Pfizer. Residents are asked to visit the local vaccine booking website or call 226-289-3560.
A number of local pharmacies are also offering doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but bookings must be made through the pharmacies themselves.
For residents who got AstraZeneca as their first dose, the choice is theirs whether to have AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna for their second after the revised eight-week interval.
Those who got AstraZeneca and who would like their second dose to be Pfizer or Moderna can book through the vaccine booking website or by calling 226-289-3560. Those who want their second dose to also be AstraZeneca are asked to contact the pharmacy or primary care setting where they got their initial shot.
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