Now that two different types have been approved, COVID-19 vaccines in Canada are getting distributed across the country.
As of January 7, over half a million COVID-19 vaccine doses had arrived in Canada's provinces and territories, according to the federal government’s latest data.
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While some spots are getting more Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, it appears others are receiving more doses of the Moderna option. Here’s what the distribution looks like so far:
For example, the province of Quebec has now received 82,875 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and 32,500 doses of the Moderna version.
On the other hand, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut haven’t been given any doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech option but got thousands of doses of Moderna’s vaccine.
The information was last updated on January 7, 2021.
While the Government of Canada’s data doesn’t explain why some regions were given more or less doses of either option, it’s likely related to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine’s complex storage requirements.
Per CBC News, the heat-sensitive doses must be stored at temperatures between –80 C and –60 C.
Per the data, it’s Ontario and Quebec that have been given the largest amount of doses so far.
Both regions have been particularly hard-hit by COVID-19 and also have the largest population sizes.