Moe set to needle federal government over vaccines

Scott Moe is pushing for a larger and more timely injection of COVID-19 vaccines into Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan’s premier issued a statement Thursday saying he planned to press for more “clarity and certainty on vaccines” during a First Ministers Meeting.

“We have no confirmation of Pfizer shipments past the end of February and no confirmation of any further Moderna shipments at this point,” Moe wrote. “This is extremely concerning and greatly complicates all provincial and territorial vaccine rollout plans.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, Saskatchewan had administered 35,763 doses of vaccine — or 109 per cent of the doses that had been received. Health-care workers had managed to get extra doses out of each vial, resulting in the higher percentage.

Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine recently arrived in Saskatoon (975 doses) and Prince Albert (1,950 doses), with others destined for North Battleford (1,950 doses) and Yorkton (975) after they got to the province.

A shipment of the Moderna vaccine is slated to arrive in the province before Saturday. On Tuesday, Moe said that shipment is to be given as second doses in the far north and northwest areas of the province and as first shots in Rosetown and Kindersley.

But Canada has been having trouble getting shipments from the manufacturers on time, which has resulted in delays in the vaccine rollouts in provinces and territories.

Moe said Tuesday the province soon will be releasing its sequencing plan for the next phase of vaccinations, but that’s dependent on getting vaccines on time and in the quantity the province was expecting.

In his statement Thursday, Moe noted that could be a problem, after Canadian officials said Moderna was reducing the size of its next shipment to Canada.

The premier said the federal government should press manufacturers to speed up the pace of their deliveries, just as the U.S. government has done.

“The federal government has told provinces and territories that we can expect vaccine deliveries to ramp up in the second quarter of this year,” Moe said. “Obviously, that should happen sooner, and more vaccines should be approved and more vaccines should be delivered.”

He again vowed to raise his concerns during a call Thursday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other provincial and territorial leaders.

“I have advocated for both a consistent supply of vaccines and a consistent supply of information,” Moe wrote. “Unfortunately, we continue to get neither.”