Johnson & Johnson approval to further accelerate Alberta jabs: Shandro

Article content

The approval of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine by federal regulators gives another boost to Alberta’s immunization efforts, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Friday.

Health Canada authorized a single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson Friday morning, adding it to the country’s arsenal of vaccines alongside those by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

The newly approved vaccine is safe and effective, Health Canada officials said. The nation has ordered 10 million doses from Johnson & Johnson but has the option to purchase 28 million more. They are expected to begin arriving in April.

At a Friday press conference, Shandro said Alberta had not yet received a schedule for shipments from Ottawa but said he assumed the approval would further accelerate immunization timelines. On Thursday, Shandro said all adult Albertans would be offered a first dose of vaccine by June 30.

“This isn’t just a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the other side, and we’re going to be there this summer,” Shandro said.

Article content

“We look forward to getting information from the federal government so we can plan accordingly and understand how many more vaccines we’ll be able to provide to Albertans.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine boasts some logistical advantages over its counterparts. It’s the only vaccine that does not require two doses, and it can be stored in a regular fridge for up to three months. The Moderna and Pfizer versions both require freezer storage.

Alberta’s vaccine advisory committee will review data to determine which groups eligible in Phase 2 will receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Shandro said.

Also Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the manufacturer of the Pfizer vaccine has pushed up its shipment schedule and will send an extra 1.5 million doses of the vaccine to Canada this month and another two million doses in April and May. The supply was previously expected this summer.

To date, Alberta has administered 275,719 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 9,488 Thursday. There are now 90,486 Albertans fully immunized after having received two shots. Among Alberta adults, 5.4 per cent have received at least one shot.

Some of those inoculations are now happening at community pharmacies, with a number of Calgarians getting a vaccine at select pharmacies this week. A list of the city’s 48 participating pharmacies can found via the Alberta Blue Cross website.

The next phases of vaccine rollout will begin next week.

Article content

Bookings for Phase 2A will begin March 15, for those between the ages of 65 and 74. And starting March 10, Albertans 50 to 64 will be able to sign up to receive AstraZeneca vaccine doses. Appointment bookings for both groups will be staggered by year of birth, one year at a time.

NDP call for release of review on pandemic first wave

Friday marked the anniversary of the first COVID-19 case detected in Alberta.

The Opposition NDP marked the occasion by calling on the province to release a third-party review into the pandemic’s first wave commissioned last summer and promised early this year.

The UCP government rewarded a $475,000 contract to consulting firm KPMG to look at how the province responded to COVID-19 through October, including decisions around the health system and the economy, governance, procurement and engagement with stakeholders. The company began its work in September.

NDP Health Critic David Shepherd said the report, which was originally touted as a resource to help guide response to the second wave of the virus, needed to be released.

“We’re now three months into the second wave of the pandemic in our province and there’s still no sign of this report,” Shepherd said. “Albertans are watching the UCP government make the same mistakes today as they did in the first wave.”

When asked about the review, Shandro did not provide a concrete deadline, but said KPMG had finished a first draft. A final submission is expected soon, at which point the province will review and publish the report.

Article content

The timing of the review’s completion was itself impacted by COVID-19, Shandro said.

The review is intended to contribute to Alberta’s wider emergency preparedness, said Steve Buick, press secretary to Shandro. Last December, Buick told Postmedia the review had not been delayed, saying it was always expected in late 2020 or early 2021.

Reflecting on the pandemic’s anniversary himself, Shandro said the pandemic has resulted in losses for “too many families,” but remained optimistic for the months ahead.

“My hopes are high for this summer, as I think any Albertan’s are,” Shandro said. “We’ll have fewer people in hospital, fewer cases, and those are the metrics we’re going to be using as we move into Step 3 and Step 4 (of reopening).”

Another 411 new cases logged in Alberta

Elsewhere Friday, Alberta reported 411 new cases of the novel coronavirus from more than 10,500 tests, representing a 3.9 per cent positivity rate.

Variant case counts continued to creep up with 22 more cases reported, all being the B.1.1.7 version first reported in the United Kingdom. Alberta has logged 563 cases of the more-contagious variants. All but 10 are the B.1.1.7 strain; the remainder are the B.1.351 variant that originated in South Africa.

Alberta recorded its first case of a variant in an acute-care setting Friday, chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said on Twitter.

Article content

The Westlock Healthcare Centre, about 90 kilometres north of Edmonton, saw a case of the B.1.1.7 variant that is not thought to have been acquired at the hospital.

“While this is the first variant confirmed in acute care, it is a reminder that we cannot dictate where & how this virus spreads,” Hinshaw wrote.

Active cases continue an extended plateau. There are 4,639 active infections in Alberta, a similar count to that seen in mid-February.

There are now 243 Albertans in hospital with the virus, including 44 in intensive-care units, slight decreases in both metrics.

Death rates remain low, with only two additional fatalities from the virus reported Friday. One, a man in his 70s, was from the Alberta Health Services Calgary zone.

Alberta’s toll from COVID-19 is 1,913. Deaths from the virus have slowed significantly in recent weeks, as vaccinations in continuing-care settings take effect. In the past four weeks, 136 Albertans have died from COVID-19, compared to 394 over the previous four weeks.

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring