Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says delays in shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Ontario will impact its clinics this week.
What this means is that most adults will receive the Moderna vaccine while the remaining Pfizer supply will be prioritized for those between the ages of 12 and 17.
“These shipment changes are certainly challenging,” said medical officer of health, Dr. Nicola Mercer.
“We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact on the public, but we must do what we can to ensure we continue to vaccinate our region as quickly as possible. I want to assure residents of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph that their first or second dose will be safe and effective.”
The province said its shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for the week had been delayed by a few days, so a large supply of Moderna would be used at many appointments, meaning residents may end up with a different mRNA shot for their second dose.
Public health said either vaccine used as a second dose provides strong protection against COVID-19.
“Both mRNA vaccines are authorized for use in Canada, use similar technology, and are safe to mix,” public health said.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph is considered a hot spot for the more transmissible Delta variant and those who got their initial jabs on or before May 30 are able to book their second dose as of Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, 50,500 eligible residents over the age of 12 are considered fully vaccinated, or 18.7 per cent.
Anyone aged 12 and up can pre-register for a vaccination appointment on public health’s website.
— With files from The Canadian Press