Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine supply problems delaying vaccination rollout in Windsor-Essex

TheCOVID-19 vaccine rolloutinWindsor-Essex will be delayed due to supply issues,health officials say.

The setback comes as coronavirus hospitalizations soar, and the region's death toll rises.

Windsor Regional Hospital stopped giving out first doses ofthe Pfizer-BioNtech shot on Monday, saying ithad no choice given the "recent and sudden announcements" on shipments.

The government has announced thatvaccine will be in shorter supply in the coming weeks due to production delays.

Provincial officials said the supply will be reduced by 80 per centthe week of Jan.25,55 per cent the week of Feb. 1and 45 per cent the week of Feb. 8.

Premier Doug Ford expressed frustration with the delayson Tuesday, saying it was"troubling" and "a massive concern."

The hospital says the developmentcalls into question previous vaccine commitments, and officials are awaiting further information from the Ministry of Health on what to expect.

Right now, however, the hospital has vaccinated more than8,000 peoplefrom priority groups, representing at least 90 per cent of those who are currently eligible and wantthe shot.

But the hospital had to stop giving first doses a week earlier than expected, and now may have to delay some second doses as well.

"Wewill continue to try to provide second doses 21 days following the first doseshowever, depending onfuture shipments, wemay have to delaythe second dose for some asrecommended byThe National Advisory Committee on Immunization," WRH CEO David Musyj said in a memo the hospital shared with CBCNews.

Follow-up vaccination visits delayed

The tight supply is also affecting theWindsor-Essex County Health Unit's vaccine rollout.

Theresa Marentette, CEO and chief nursing officer,saidtheunit has had to reschedulesecond visits to some retirement homes to administer first doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Those visitsare necessary since COVID-19 cases within the homes meant not everyonewasable to receive their shoton the initial visit.

"Due to outbreaks, we've had to kind of stagger the time when we can give people their vaccine based on their recovery from COVID," she said.

The first wave of vaccinations is complete at long-term care homes in the region, and there is one remaining retirement home out of more than40 facilities in the region that isyet tobe vaccinated.

The health unit expects some doses will be provided at that home on Thursday.

Marentette said the health unit has held back enough vaccine to give the requiredsecond doses of the vaccineon time.

The second doses areexpectedto be rolled out starting on Jan. 28.

116 new cases, six deaths

There were 116 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the health unit in Windsor-Essex on Wednesday, along with six additional deaths.

There are2,419active cases of COVID-19 in the region.

Of the new cases announced Wednesday, nineare connected to outbreaks, 13are close contacts of confirmed cases, onewascommunity acquired, while 93 remain under investigation.

Overall in the pandemic, 277people in Windsor-Essex have lost their lives toCOVID-19.

There are currently 112 COVID-19 patients arein hospital,18of them in intensive care.

Fivehospital outbreaks active

There are currently five active outbreaks at Windsor hospitals. There are fouroutbreaks active at Windsor Regional Hospital, two attheOuellette campus and two atthe Met Campus. There is also an outbreak at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

Two community settings, both Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario locations, are in outbreak.

Outbreaks are active at 26workplaces:

• Six in Leamington's agriculturalsector.
• Five in Kingsville's agriculturalsector.
• Three in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Leamington's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Kingsville's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Windsor's food and beverage service sector.
• Two in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• One in a personal service setting in LaSalle.
• Twoin public administration settings in Windsor.
• One in a retail setting in Essex.
• One in Essex's finance and insurance sector.
• One in a transportation and warehousing setting in Windsor

There are 19active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities:

• Chartwell Leamingtonin Leamington with one staff case.
• Regency Park in Windsor with sixresident cases and five staff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Marquis, with one resident case and one staff case.
• Harrow Woods Retirement Home, with five resident cases and twostaff cases.
• Seasons Retirement Home in Amherstburg, with threestaff cases.
• Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor, with 31resident cases and sixstaff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Oak in Kingsville, with twostaff cases.
• Rosewood Erie Glen in Leamington, with 36resident cases and sixstaff cases.
• Leamington Mennonite Home with sevenstaff cases.
• Augustine Villas in Kingsville, with 60resident and 16staff cases.
• Sunrise Assisted Living of Windsor, with 13resident cases and eight staff cases.
• Huron Lodge in Windsor, with 45resident cases and 26staff cases.
• Sun Parlor Home in Leamington with tworesident cases and 11staff cases.
• Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor, with 115resident cases and 62staff cases.
• The Shoreview at Riverside in Windsor, with 28resident cases and 11staff cases.
• Extendicare Tecumseh, with 90 resident cases and 57staff cases.
• Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor, with 94resident and 61staff cases.
• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, with 162 resident cases and 129staff cases.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh, with 60resident cases and 29staff cases.

Cases in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia

Ten new cases were reported in Lambton County on Wednesday.There have been 1,685 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.

There were11new cases in Chatham-Kent, bringing its total to 1,039.