The first Ontarian got their vaccine dose almost two weeks ago, but data suggests the province is falling behind when it comes to giving Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine to everyone else.
A chart by biostatistician Ryan Imgrund posted on Twitter today shows that Ontario is in last place for vaccinations per 100,000 people among the provinces who have delivered the Pfizer vaccine.
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Ontario has vaccinated 59 out of every 100,000 people in the province, only above Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon, where nobody has been able to receive vaccinations yet.
Ontario has administered 10,756 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of December 24, according to the government website.
General Rick Hiller, the chair of the COVID-19 response team in Toronto, told reporters at a press conference on December 7 that the province was expecting about 85,000 doses in the first shipment, which arrived on December 13.
The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart, and Ontario had decided to withhold half of their delivered vaccines for the second dose in case of a break in the supply chain.
"Given the information we know about the supply — which is very little at this time — and the dates when the next vaccines will arrive, we decided it is better to err on the side of caution," Hiller said at a December 11 press conference.
But the CBC reports that there is a "consensus" growing that provinces should vaccinate as many people as possible.
New modelling shows even a single dose of the vaccine can limit potential infections, the CBC says.
In a statement emailed to Narcity, a spokesperson from Ontario's Ministry of Health said the province's priority was vaccinating frontline health care workers and vulnerable populations.*
"While some individuals may have good COVID-19 immunity after only one dose, it's not guaranteed and a second dose is necessary," the statement read.*
"We will continue to administer second doses to patients, ensuring they have optimal immunity from the vaccine, while continuing to vaccinate a growing number of new patients as additional doses of the vaccine are delivered."*
The newly approved Moderna doesn't require the same ultra-cold storage that the Pfizer vaccine does, and is expected to be easier to distribute.
*This article has been updated.