Where are Ontario's Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses? Frustration builds for those waiting

Despite Ontario receiving 2,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, some whowaited for thatvaccine say they're frustrated by a lack of information on its whereabouts, and they'redesperate to get the shot.

Also known as the Janssen vaccine, the single-dose non-mRNA vaccine has beenapproved for usein Canada since the spring for those 18 and older. It hadn'tbeen administered until nowbecause of a quality control issueat a U.S. manufacturing plant.

Ontario was among the provinceswho received a shipment from the federal government in recent weeks,and each hasbeen determining who it's offered to andhow it'll be distributed.

This week, Ontario's Ministry of Health told CBCin an email the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine will be available to adults who either had an allergy or severe reaction to an mRNA vaccine, or by request from those who have not yet been vaccinated.

"These individuals should contact their local public health unit," wrote a health ministry spokesperson.

But Frank D'Angelo, who's been holding out forthe J&J shot, said when he called his local health unit in Guelph, Ont., he was told to call the Ontario government.

"They didn't know too much about it, so they referred me to Ontario public health," said D'Angelo, who's 75.

He said a nurse with the province took down his information and told him he's on a waiting list.

Whyis it so much trouble to go about getting thisparticular vaccine?- Mike Arturi, Toronto resident

"I'm registered to get a shot of the J&J. Whether or not it's going to be one of these 2,500, or some more that they're going to order I don't know, but they will get back to me," he said Friday.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said Friday it's possible when D'Angelocalled, it didn't have guidance on how to access the vaccine. A spokesperson said it will now have a nurse take down people's information if they're interested in the J&J shot, and will contact them once they receive supply from Ontario.

'Dumbfounded' by search for 1-dose vaccine

Meanwhile, Mike Arturi from Toronto says for the past few weeks, he's contacted the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Minister Christine Elliott, Premier Doug Ford, his local MPP, and mayor, along with several local public health units and has received little to no response on how to get his J&J shot.

"I was kind of dumbfounded by this whole situation. I didn't realize how difficult it was to get a vaccine," said Arturi, who's been temporarily suspended without pay from his workplace for not being vaccinated.

He'shesitant to get an mRNA shot due to his questions about it being unanswered. A few of his colleagues also travelled to Manitoba recently to get their J&J shots, he said.

"They drove back, and they told me theytook the shot, and they're actually working right now," said Arturi

His deadline to upload his vaccine record is now Dec. 30, and if he misses that deadline, he says he'll be fired. Despite not being a resident of Hamilton, Ont., Arturi said that city's public health unitput him on a waiting list Friday with no guarantee he'll get an appointment. That unit also doesn't have any doses currently available, he said.

"It's very frustrating," he said."I'm vaccine hesitant, but I'm not against vaccines. But whyis it so much trouble to go about getting thisparticular vaccine?"

As of Friday afternoon, the Ontario COVID-19 booking portal still only listed Pfizer-BioNtech and Modernavaccines as the available options for both first and second doses.

Ontario's health ministry did not answer CBC's questions on how it plans to distributedoses to each local health unit, and how it will determine how many each will get.

It also didn't answer whether the J&J vaccine will be available to those who want it as a third booster shot.

The ministry said it's only received a quarter of its provincial allocation of 10,000 doses due to available supply and it's requested more in the short-term.

On Monday, Ottawa Public Health told CBCthat it's currently not offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and said more details will be available on how to access it "in the weeks to follow."