THUNDER BAY - Last week the Thunder Bay District saw a record number of vaccines administered at more than 11,000 doses and while we might not see numbers reach quite that high, the medical officer of health says weekly rates will remain above 8,000.
“It was a really successful week,” said Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “I think our supply going forward, certainly the ones we are getting are around 8,000 per week, maybe a little more. And we know the pharmacies are getting some.”
For the week ending on May 22, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and partnering organizations administered 10,959 vaccine doses, with 59 per cent of residents having received at least one dose to date.
The high numbers are the result of increased shipments of the vaccine throughout the province.
DeMille said based on shipments, weekly vaccinations likely won’t accelerate, but should remain between 8,000 and 10,000 going forward.
Vaccines are currently available to anyone over the age of 18 and youth between the ages of 12 and 17.
More pharmacies are now also offering vaccines, including 18 in the city of Thunder Bay administering either the Pfizer or Moderna shot.
Based on vaccine supply increase, DeMille said she expects the duration between the first and second shot to be shortened for older individuals.
“I do hope to hear about second doses for older individuals, particularly those over 80 and over 70,” she said. “We hope to hear something about that next week and hope to implement that sometime in June.”
For those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine as a first dose, DeMille said she expects more doses to be shipped to the district to administer it as a second dose.
The province has halted the AstraZeneca vaccine as a first dose due to very rare occurrences of blood clots, but is moving forward with offering it as a second dose to those who wish to receive it, as the risk of developing a blood clot is significantly reduced following the second shot.
“We don’t have any in our area right now,” she said. “We know that there is some supply in certain areas of the province that will be redistributed. Between the pharmacies and primary care, there were 2,000 first doses administered here. I anticipate we will get that for second doses if people choose to get that as a second dose.”
And with vaccination rates remaining high and COVID-19 case counts declining, DeMille said she is confident that following the May long weekend, it is unlikely the district will see a significant increase in cases.
“I have confidence that as a community we have learned a lot, we know a lot,” she said. “We know what to do. There might be issues of non-compliance and may see some spread. But I am overall confident that it won’t blow up.”
