The province will release its Phase 1 and 2 COVD vaccination plans tomorrow.
That’s according to Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald at the latest COVID briefing yesterday.
There were eight new confirmed cases reported on Wednesday, including the province’s fifth COVID-related death—a man over the age of 70 in the Eastern Health region.
She says COVID-19 has the potential to cause severe illness in some people. The latest death and the fact that six people are in hospital serves as a reminder as to how seriously the illness needs to be taken.
In the meantime, some progress is being reported in relation to vaccinations, but Health Minister John Haggie says that all relies on the guaranteed delivery of promised doses.
As of yesterday, Haggie says there was no guaranteed supply of vaccine “at all” from Moderna for the month of March.
Pfizer meanwhile has guaranteed approximately 6,000 doses per week. In addition, they also promised 80,000 doses over the course of March, and approximately 249,000 extra doses over the course of the quarter ending at the end of May. “Those last two quantities,” said Haggie, “we have not seen hide nor hair of as yet.”
Haggie says they are hopeful and optimistic they will see some or all of that amount and they have a plan to ramp up vaccination similar to the way they did with the flu shot in the fall.