Ford to make announcement on Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Mar 30 2021, 1:35 pm

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is set to make an announcement about the province’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy Tuesday afternoon.

The province’s vaccination strategy hit a bump in the road on Monday, when the The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended pausing use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on people under 55.

The suspension is a precautionary measure while rare cases of serious blood clots following immunization with the AstraZeneca vaccine are investigated.

AstraZeneca is the third vaccine to be approved for use in Canada, and it’s been used to vaccinate younger people before they’re eligible for Pfizer of Moderna shots.

Ford said Monday that he’s ready to pause AstraZeneca vaccine use in “half a heartbeat” if that’s what health officials recommend.

“I’d rather wait one or two months for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson then roll the dice on AstraZeneca,” he said at a Monday news conference.

On Tuesday Ford will speak from Toronto at a time when COVID-19 infections are surging in what Toronto’s top doctor has called a “worsening resurgence.”

New infections have been above 2,000 for five days in a row now, and and Toronto Mayor John Tory has called into question whether it will be safe to open personal care businesses next month as planned.

Tuesday’s press conference is scheduled for 1 pm.

Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

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