Ontario in 'critical' period to use up Moderna shots, pharmacists group says
Ontario pharmacists say thousands of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are set to expire soon and they warn the supply could go to waste if people don't show up to get a shot.
The CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association said some Moderna shots are set to expire in early August, and generally, supply that arrives in bulk must be used up within 30 days.
Justin Bates said a slowdown in Ontario's vaccine rollout and the public's preference for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot have made it difficult for pharmacists to use up the Moderna doses.
"It's an awful situation for them (pharmacists) to be in," Bates said in an interview. "They've done everything they can to make sure there's no wastage, but yet they're coming to that place where they may have to, or have already."
Bates' comments came after a health unit covering London, Ont., asked the public to roll up their sleeves for Moderna vaccines before more than 21,300 unallocated doses expire in two weeks' time.
Pharmacies are now ordering vaccine based on scheduled appointments to cut down on possible waste, said Bates, but they still need to use the supply they have on hand.
"The next couple of weeks (are) critical," he said. "It's complicated because you have any number of scenarios that could waste the vaccine."
On top of the expiration issue, Bates said it's also been challenging for pharmacists to use up the larger dose quantities that come in Moderna vials currently being supplied in Ontario.
Vials include enough vaccine for 14 shots and once a vial is punctured, all the vaccine must be used within 12 hours. If a patient cancels their appointment for a Moderna shot, it can't be filled by the end of the day, said Bates.
The problem is not limited to pharmacies.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit recently issued a call for residents to take the Moderna vaccine because it had thawed more than 21,300 doses of the shot that need to be used by Aug. 12.
In a statement, the health unit said vaccinations had declined over the previous weeks and the thawed shots were "above and beyond" appointments already allocated for second doses.
"We don't want this vaccine to go to waste, so we are asking people who aren't fully vaccinated to join us in the fight against COVID-19 and consider receiving a first or second dose of Moderna," Dr. Chris Mackie, the region's top doctor, said earlier this week. The health unit also stressed that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots can be used as first and second doses safely.
A spokeswoman for the health minister said the province is working with the Middlesex-London Health Unit to help reallocate doses to areas of need.
"Public health units are working to keep vaccine wastage to a minimum and are encouraging walk-ins where appropriate," Alexandra Hilkene said.
"We are also working with federal partners to explore vaccine donation opportunities in the future."
Bates said his organization wants a provincewide program to help redirect doses at risk of being wasted to another site more likely to use them, though he noted that process would be complicated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 1, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.