Alberta not expecting shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine after Ontario, Manitoba announce more on the way

Another AstraZeneca vaccine delivery possible Another shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine could be on its way to Alberta. Sarah Reid explains what that means.

CALGARY — Ontario and Manitoba are announcing that another shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine is on its way to Canada, but Alberta has yet to confirm if it’s expecting any doses.

The announcement of a potential shipment comes just days after Alberta said it was putting a pause on using the vaccine for first doses.

The province said on Tuesday it was not aware of any future shipments of the shot comin to Alberta, and therefore would only be using current supply for second doses.

Now, Ontario is announcing it will be receiving 255,000 doses, while Manitoba is expecting 23,000.

When asked about Alberta’s expected shipment, AHS says, “we have only been recently informed of these potential shipments and is evaluating the best way to proceed.”

Following Alberta’s decision to stop administering AstraZeneca as a first dose, many provinces quickly followed suit, including Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

More than two million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been distributed across Canada, and health authorities are now trying to determine the best use for the vaccine.

The preliminary results from a study out of the U.K are finding that receiving one dose of AstraZeneca and one of Pfizer, is safe. Although the combination of the two vaccines has prompted more reports of the temporary symptoms post inoculation. The study looked at more than 800 adults age 50 and older, who had received the mix and matched vaccines.

Canada’s top doctor, Dr. Theresa Tam has said that the early results of the study look “like a good first sign in terms of favorable use.”

Health officials in Canada are still waiting for the results on the effectiveness of combining the vaccines. The efficacy data is expected to be released next month.