By Canadian Press

Canada pivoting vaccine plan as supplies begin to outstrip demand: Brodie

Jul 15, 2021 | 12:07 PM

OTTAWA — The military general overseeing the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the country says Canada is moving to a “more nuanced” approach as the supply of doses is on the verge of outstripping demand.

Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie says more than two million doses of vaccine are already being held back because provinces have said they can’t use them — a big change from when all newly arrived doses were shipped around the country as quickly as possible.

Now, the goal is shifting to minimize waste by not distributing doses provinces do not yet need and so that Canada can decide whether it can start donating more doses to other countries.

Canada’s vaccination rate has slowed in the last two weeks, as the pool of people still waiting for their first and second doses gets smaller.

More than 79 per cent of eligible Canadians over the age of 12 are now at least partly vaccinated, and 54 per cent are fully vaccinated.

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Provinces are sitting on an inventory of nearly nine million doses, and within a few weeks Brodie says there will be more than enough doses to fully vaccinate every eligible Canadian.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press