Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to cut back on its deliveries next week: PM Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada's other vaccine supplier has to cut back on its deliveries next week.

Moderna will ship only about three-quarters of the expected supply, cutting Canada's next shipment by more than 50,000 doses.

Similar cuts are being made to Europe's deliveries, with Italy, France and Switzerland all reporting they, too, are getting less than 80 per cent of their expected doses.

It is more bad news for Canada's already troubled vaccine supplies, after Pfizer cut back its deliveries by more than two-thirds since mid-January.

Pfizer is also pushing Canada to change the label on its vaccine to declare each vial contains six doses, instead of five, allowing the drugmaker to meet its delivery contract by sending fewer vials.

However Trudeau says new export controls Europe is imposing on COVID-19 vaccines produced there won't affect Canada, and he expects Pfizer and Moderna to catch up on their deliveries before long.