Pfizer cutting back vaccine deliveries to Canada due to production issues

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says production issues in Europe will temporarily reduce Pfizer-BioNTech's ability to deliver vaccines to Canada.

Anand says the U.S drug-maker is temporarily reducing deliveriesbecause of issues with its European production lines.

She adds that while the company says it will still be able to deliver four million doses by the end of March, that is no longer guaranteed.

Anand says it's unfortunate, but such delays and issues are to beexpected when global supply chains are stretched well beyond their limits.

Canada has received about 380,000 doses of the vaccine so far, and was supposed to get another 400,000 this month and almost two million doses in February.

The news comes as Ottawa released federal projections that suggest the pandemic may soon exceed levels seen in the first wave, with the number of deaths rising to 19,630 by January 24th.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam is urging sustained vigilance as a long range forecast suggests that rapid growth ininfections will continue without ``quick, strong and sustained'' measures.

Tam says that's especially the case in the national hot spots of Quebec and Ontario, where a steady increase in hospitalizations has strained the health system's ability to keep up with critical care demands.