WECHU Release: Ministry of Health Delaying Second Doses of Vaccine to Get More First Doses in Arms

Highly effective first doses provide protection until second dose is received.

Following the guidance of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and on the heels of the announcement of the authorization of the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the province of Ontario is delaying the administration of second doses for those who do not have a scheduled appointment prior to March 11th.  In order to effectively distribute the limited supply of vaccine available in communities across the country, NACI is recommending the extension of the interval between doses to a period of up to four months. With current research indicating that even one dose is highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, provincial decision-makers see more value to administering a single dose to a high number of people, than two doses to a select few. In doing so, a greater number of Ontarians will have the opportunity to be protected in a much shorter period.

The implications for this region however are significant as Windsor-Essex was one of the first regions in the province to administer doses to the 80+ population. In the very successful targeted vaccination clinics in City of Windsor at the WFCU Center and now in the Municipality of Leamington, the WECHU in collaboration with Municipal and Hospital partners is now administering approximately 500 vaccines per day to this vulnerable age group. The vaccines administered at these clinics to date, have been the Pfizer BioNTech, which does require two doses. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit acknowledges the impact that the constant fluctuations have on community member’s ability to understand when and how they and their loved ones will be able to move past the pandemic. According to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed,  “While this certainly presents a number of logistic challenges for both the health unit and for those who have already scheduled their appointments, we understand the importance of getting as many members of our community vaccinated with at least one dose as quickly as possible.” That notion, reiterated often by Dr. Ahmed in the WECHU’s daily YouTube media conferences, is also reflected in the WECHU’s participation in the provincial governments pilot project, to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to residents in the 60-64 age group though partnership with pharmacies; an initiative set to begin later this week.

Residents who have received their first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech vaccines, should not be concerned however, as both vaccines have shown an efficacy of 92%, 14 days from the first dose and up to the point when a second dose was administered. The WECHU intends to provide additional information to those who are awaiting their second dose in the coming days.

As more and more residents of Windsor-Essex continue to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the WECHU reminds residents of the importance of following public health measures to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community:

  1. Maintain a 2 metre distance from others.
  2. Limit your contacts to your household only.
  3. Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often.
  4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  5. Use a medical or non-medical mask (e.g, cloth) in public settings.
  6. Cover mouth & nose with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze.
  7. Stay home and do not go to work or school if you are sick. 

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit the WECHU’s vaccine webpage or subscribe to receive email updates from the Windsor Essex County Health Unit about COVID-19 vaccines.