The London region will see its COVID-19 vaccine supply cut by about 25 per cent, as doses are redirected to the province's hot spots.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie confirmed about 3,500 Pfizer-BioNTech doses will be diverted from Middlesex-London to Toronto and the GTA starting next week.
"We understand the need to devote vaccination doses to the communities that are being hardest hit. We absolutely get that there are communities with rates of COVID that are much higher than what we are seeing here," said Mackie.
He acknowledged the supply cut is "frustrating" as the region has the capacity to vaccinate many more people a day than it has supply for. However, getting shots into the arms of individuals in communities where cases are surging also aids people from other parts of the province, added Mackie.
"What happens in our neighbouring jurisdictions effects us... Patients being shipped to the London area from Greater Toronto Area hospitals. If vaccine can go somewhere where it can prevent cases, reduce spread there, and reduce the spillover effects here, that’s something that helps us all," said Mackie.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) currently has 33 COVID-19 patients in its care who were transferred from harder hit cities.
The Middlesex London Health Unit received notification of the vaccine redirection last week, which provided enough time to make adjustments in distribution to its mass vaccination clinics, keeping them up and running.
"We are seeing [supply cuts] far enough in advance that we can plan for them," said Mackie. "We do expect to open up some additional eligibility this week probably an announcement for that on Wednesday or Thursday in partnership with neighbouring health units. The reductions in future weeks won't effect that."
There has been some indication though that a supply shortage could lead to first-dose vaccine appointments being halted in favour of second-dose bookings.
"We need to double our supply to keep at current pace as delayed second doses are coming due soon! If no new supply first doses will stop," Neil Johnson, chief operating officer at the LHSC tweeted Monday.
As it stands now, Middlesex London is scheduled to get a larger allotment of the Pfizer vaccine in May and June.
"If the national procurement goes as expected, then the second doses required will be dwarfed by the new incoming doses. We would be able to proceed at pace with vaccinating people with first doses,” reassured Mackie.
As of Sunday, 125,387 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the London region.
