Canadians looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine at local pharmacies may run into some trouble.
Pfizer Canada says it has placed temporary limits on orders of one of its COVID shots at community pharmacies, found outside of hospitals.
The short-term limit applies to its pre-filled syringe in the 0.3-millilitre dose during the current respiratory infection season, Sophie Morin, Pfizer Canada’s senior manager of external communications, told CBC News in an email on Monday.
For consumers, multi-dose options provided in previous seasons continue to be available.
Single-dose vials give providers more flexibility to order, distribute and offer vaccines, such as in rural areas, but multi-dose vials can have lower packaging and storage costs.
Pfizer’s pack of 10 single-dose pre-filled syringes remain available to distributors, Morin said.
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Hospital and long-term care settings typically receive supplies through public vaccination programs, both Pfizer and Ontario’s ministry of health said.
Ontario “continues to have vaccine supply available for order and delivery across the province to help keep Ontario families safe and healthy this respiratory illness season,” a ministry spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, pharmacists in Calgary said they’ve started waitlists to administer COVID-19 vaccines because they couldn’t get their hands on stock.
Moderna Canada said it continues to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses to provinces and territories across Canada as scheduled.
Provincial and territorial health authorities manage how COVID-19 vaccines are allocated and distributed for the public market.
