Fact check: How much does Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine rollout lag other provinces? – National Post

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Critics have been decrying the speed, or lack thereof, at which the Ontario government is vaccinating its people against the coronavirus. Well ahead of the game — according to per cent of population inoculated — are all three territories by a long chalk, as well as Quebec and P.E.I.

While vaccine procurement is a federal task, deployment is up to each province and territory. In December, Quebec gave long-term care residents their jabs straight from distribution centres within the facilities themselves. Upon receipt of its vaccine doses in December, British Columbia also sent them straight to long-term care homes. But Ontario held on to its inventory for three weeks before shipping it to such facilities, doing so only after vaccine-handling criteria were changed.

Ontario began with Toronto and Ottawa test sites in late December, so it could write a “playbook” on how they administered the vaccinations, how they handled the vaccine and what they learned from it.

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But former federal health minister Jane Philpott told the CBC that “There’s no point gained for doing this in a slow and steady fashion. There are no points gained for pacing ourselves or rationing out the vaccine.”

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By Feb. 26, 1.78 million doses had been administered across the country to 3.33 per cent of the total population. (Just over 2.44 million doses had been delivered to the provinces.)

Of those 1.78 million doses, 1.27 million people received just one dose and 511,975 have received two.

But are Ontario vaccination counts so far behind the others, as critics charge?

Comparison figures (from east to west) show that the province’s rate of administering doses is 10th of 13 jurisdictions.

The number of people fully vaccinated and the per cent of the total population vaccinated (at least one dose) in each province, by end of day Feb. 26, break down thus:

And following is the current plan for vaccine rollout across the country. Click on the headers below to go to each province’s official vaccination plans.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The province is in Phase 1 of its vaccine rollout. Those with priority include:

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(Essential visitors are those considered, by the care team, to be paramount to the resident’s physical care and mental well-being, including assistance with feeding, mobility, personal care, communication or significant behavioural symptoms.)

The province had received 26,800 doses, and by Feb. 23 had administered a total of 20,285 inoculations (60 per cent of doses administered). Total inoculations counts both the number of single-dose and two-dose vaccinations.

Prince Edward Island

The first phase of the province’s rollout is underway. This targets:

The next phase, scheduled to begin in April, will target those older than 70 and essential workers.

The province intends to make the vaccine available to everyone in late summer and fall.

P.E.I. has received 14,715 doses and has given 12,176 inoculations in total (83 per cent).

Nova Scotia

The first phase of vaccines will be given to long-term care residents, patient-facing health-care workers, those 80 and older, and at-risk groups including First Nations and African Nova Scotian communities.

Though no dates are given for moves to the next phases, the second will include:

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The third phase will include all Nova Scotians, in five-year age ranges.

Nova Scotia plans to have vaccine available to at least 75 per cent of the population by the end of September 2021.

The province has given 32,019 doses of the 61,980 received (52 per cent).

New Brunswick

The focus now is on vaccinating those in long-term care homes, health-care workers with direct patient contact, those 16 and older in First Nations communities and New Brunswickers aged 85 and up.

The next phase, to begin in April, includes:

From June onward, vaccinations will go to school staff, students aged 16 to 24, health-care workers with indirect patient contact, and those with two or more chronic health conditions.

Availability of the vaccine will be limited until mid- to late summer, the government says, but once the supply is continuous, the entire population will be offered the shots.

So far, 26,317 doses have been administered of  35,105 doses received (56 per cent).

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Quebec

Throughout the province, those aged 85 and older can make an appointment to get vaccinated. Anyone accompanying such a person can also book a vaccination for that same time, if they are over 70 and care for the person three or more days a week.

The province plans to vaccinate those in:

Access for other ages will roll out in 10-year age increments.

Quebec has administered 400,540 injections of 537,825 doses received (75 per cent).

Ontario

Phase 1 of three phases reserves inoculations for those in long-term care, high-risk retirement-home residents, certain classes of health-care workers, and people who live in congregate care settings.

Currently, the start dates for vaccinations in Ontario are as follows:

To date, 643,765 doses have been administered of 903,285 received (71 per cent).

Manitoba

Most people aged 95 and up, or 75 and up for First Nations people, health-care workers, laboratory workers handling COVID specimens, people working at testing sites or outpatient care are being vaccinated in Phase 1. All personal-care-home residents should have received their two doses by the end of February.

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In early March, eligibility expands to:

The province has received 102,360 doses and has administered 71,469 (66 per cent).

Saskatchewan

Long-term care residents and staff, health-care workers at elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure, seniors over the age of 70 and anyone 50 or older living in a remote area are in the current Phase 1 category. In all, nearly 400,000 doses are required to finish this stage. Eligible residents will be contacted by phone or letter.

Mass vaccinations by age group should begin by April, depending on supply. It will roll out into the general population:

Police, corrections staff and teachers are among the front-line workers not prioritized for early access to shots. The government says supply is scarce.

Saskatchewan has administered 69,451 doses of 74,605 received (93 per cent).

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Alberta

People born in 1946 or earlier are now being immunized. First shots are expected to have been given by the end of March for:

The province is working on categorizing target populations for future phases.

Alberta has received 274,965 doses and has administered 207,300 (75 per cent).

British Columbia

The province’s first phase launched in December, targeting health-care workers in hospitals, paramedics, residents and staff at long-term care homes, and remote indigenous communities. Some mobile clinics are being offered.

The second phase, running February and March, includes:

The third phase, to start in April and last until June, will reach people aged 60 to 79, and those 16 and older who are clinically vulnerable, such as cancer patients.

B.C. has given 252,373 injections of 323,340 doses received (78 per cent).

Northwest Territories

N.W.T. has vaccinated 42 per cent of its adult population, and expects enough vaccine to offer inoculations to 75 per cent of its adult population by the end of March.

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N.W.T. has given 16,454 injections of 19,100 doses received (86 per cent).

Yukon

The government has vaccinated:

Uncertainty about supply has delayed immunization for the general public in Whitehorse.

Yukon has administered 15,174 doses of 18,900 received (80 per cent).

Nunavut

Vaccine clinics for the general population have been scheduled for all communities, dependent on vaccine supply. The territory expects to immunize 75 per cent of its residents over the age of 18 by early April.

Currently, in Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital first-dose immunization is going on for:

Nunavut has administered 11,383 doses of 23,900 received (48 per cent).

— with files from The Canadian Press