[GTranslate]TORONTO – So far, the mass immunization campaign in Canada and Ontario has been slow, compared to many other countries. For now, the various levels of government, in the typical game of barrel discharge, have identified the scapegoat in the lack of sufficient doses and comply with the previously prepared roadmap. But from this moment we are facing a new phase: now begins the real challenge – logistical, organizational – in the distribution, storage, and administration of vaccines throughout the Canadian territory. This week, according to what has been confirmed by the federal government, more than 2 million doses will arrive in our country: 1.2 million from Pfizer and 846,000 from Moderna.
Pfizer itself will send supplies of at least one million doses every seven days in the coming weeks, while in April the mass vaccination campaign will also be able to count on the substantial increase in supplies of AstraZeneca and the latest vaccine approved by Health Canada, Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose vaccine.
At the government level, the watchword is cautious optimism. The minister in charge of vaccine supplies, Anita Anand, confirmed that a total of 9.5 million doses will have arrived in Canada by the end of the first quarter of 2021 – by March 31st. The goal stated by the head of the federal vaccine task force, General Deny Fortin, is to make available to all Canadians over the age of 18 who want to immunize themselves against Covid-19 at least one dose of vaccine by July 1st.
However, there will be challenges that are not easy to meet. The Pfizer vaccine, the one that clinically gave the best results against Covid, is also the most problematic in terms of storage and transport because it must always be maintained at extremely low temperatures. At this juncture, open mass vaccination clinics in major cities in Ontario and Canada will play a key role.
For the success of the campaign will also need a good functioning of the mechanisms for booking vaccinations activated in all provinces. In Ontario since yesterday we have moved on to the second phase: first, all over-80s could reserve the first and second doses, while now they can book vaccination at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or by phone, calling the toll-free number 1-888-999-6488, all citizens of at least 75 years.
The fact is that the situation in our country is not comparable to what is happening in Israel, England or the United States, which until now are the countries that have moved best on the vaccine front.
In the Middle East, more than 60% of the adult population has already received at least one dose, in Britain half of adults and one in six adults in the United States have been vaccinated. In the United Kingdom, according to data from the UK Department of Health, 874,000 doses have been administered in the last 24 hours, or 27 doses per second. Across Canada last week, a maximum of 670,000 doses were inoculated.
In short, at this stage, we need a change of pace if we really want to achieve the goals that the health authorities have set themselves in this hard and exhausting battle against Covid-19.