Pharmacies rushing to provide accelerated second doses

Pharmacies are providing first and second doses as COVID-19 vaccine supplies increase across the country. Fully immunizing Canadians is a key tactic in the fight against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The Delta variant originated in India and is also known as the B.1.617 variant. Research from the U.K. suggests just one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may be less effective against the Delta variant compared to the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), but with two doses the vaccine is 87.9% effective against the Delta variant. Many provinces have tabled multi-stage reopening plans with each step dependent on vaccination rates. Here’s what is happening across Canada this week: Ontario Ontario is expanding the eligibility for second doses in areas of the province with high numbers of cases involving the Delta variant. On June 14, anyone who lives in the Delta variant hot-spot regions who received their first dose on or before May 9 can book their second dose through pharmacies or the provincial booking system. The Delta hot spot regions include the Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units. Ontario patients who had their first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 12 weeks ago can now contact their pharmacy for a second dose. If they elect to get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot, they can contact a pharmacy carrying those vaccines. Ontario is one of the few provinces that is keeping the 12-week dose interval for those who received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for their first dose. The government also announced on June 4 that it will be accelerating second doses, and anyone who received a first dose of an mRNA vaccine on or before April 18, or who is 70 years old or older, can book a second dose appointment. Anyone 12 years old and older can book an appointment for a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine through a participating pharmacy or through the provincial booking system. British Columbia British Columbians are able to get a second dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in participating pharmacies. Pharmacies will be contacting people to schedule an appointment to receive a second dose. The second dose will be at least eight weeks after patients received their first dose. “As many people are anxious to get their second dose, we need to ensure that people are getting their vaccine in the right time period, said Annette Robinson, president of the B.C. Pharmacy Association in a June 3 press release. “We’re asking that individuals not call multiple pharmacies or begin to try to book appointments. Please wait for your pharmacy to contact you.” Patients can choose to have an mRNA vaccine as a second dose and these will be given at a public health clinic. These patients will have to register through the province’s Get Vaccinated registration system. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines continue to be given to residents at community immunization clinics based on age. Anyone 12 years old or older can register for a COVID-19 vaccine. People who received their first dose eight or more weeks ago are being invited to book an appointment for a second dose. Alberta Albertans vaccinated in April or earlier can now book their appointment for a second dose. Those who got their first dose in May can book a second dose starting on June 28. Pharmacies will contact their patients to remind them that they are eligible for a second dose, but Albertans can choose where they get their second dose. Anyone 12 and older can now book an appointment for a vaccine at a pharmacy or community immunization clinic. The list of pharmacies participating in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available on the Alberta Blue Cross website. Alberta’s stock of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be used for second doses, which will be given at least eight weeks after the first dose. Those eligible can book an appointment at a pharmacy or a clinic. Albertans can choose to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for the second dose. Saskatchewan A total of 368 pharmacies in 101 communities are now providing Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines and more pharmacies are expected to join as more vaccine becomes available. People book vaccination appointments directly with participating pharmacies. The provincial search tool includes links to the pharmacy’s online booking tool and shows the type of vaccine that the pharmacy has in stock. Anyone 12 years old and older eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy or public health clinic. As of June 11, second doses are available at pharmacies or public health clinics to people 55 years old or older who or anyone who received their first vaccine on or before April 7. Starting June 7, second doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines will be available at some clinics. People are also allowed to choose to have an mRNA vaccine as a second dose. Pharmacists are witnessing some cases of vaccine hesitancy, but mostly they are finding people are motivated to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “We’ve seen a little bit of hesitancy. There are various reasons - maybe farmers have been in their fields and didn’t manage to get their vaccines when they were eligible…Some were just waiting for everybody else to get it and (to) see how it’s going,” Pharmacist Krista Missal told 650 CKOM. “Enough people have had it now that I think people are feeling more confident to come and get it,” she said. Missal is a pharmacist in Weyburn. Since early May, her pharmacy has given 900 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Manitoba Certain pharmacies in Manitoba are now providing Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for both first and second doses. The number of participating pharmacies will increase as supply increases. The participating pharmacies can be found on the province’s Vaccine Finder. The government of Manitoba is recommending that those who received AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for their first dose get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for their second dose. Pharmacies will also give second doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to eligible people 40 years old or older if supply is available. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are currently being given at mass immunization clinics, urban Indigenous clinics and pop-up clinics to anyone 12 years old or older. Indigenous people in Manitoba and anyone who received a first dose on or before May 6 can now book appointments for their second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. People with certain health conditions can also book a second dose appointment. To encourage immunization, anyone who gets a vaccine by August 2 will be entered into a lottery to win $100,000 per health region, or one of ten $25,000 scholarship for Manitobans aged 12 to 17 years old. A second draw will take place for all those who get a second dose by September 6. Manitoba has an immunization card residents can download two weeks after they receive their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Quebec On June 14, Quebec residents 55 years old or older can reschedule appointments for second doses to earlier dates as the province moved to a dose interval of eight weeks. Pharmacies are administering Moderna. The supply is expected to increase next week with 7 million doses arriving in Canada before June 30. The Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires said that they hope that pharmacies in Quebec will be allocated enough doses so that all patients who want a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a pharmacy can get one. People who received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a public health clinic can get their second dose there or at a walk-in clinic. Quebec allows people over age 45 who had the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a first dose to choose to have an mRNA vaccine as a second dose. People 18 and older can book appointments to get vaccinated at pharmacies or community clinics. Children aged 12 to 17 will be immunized through school clinics or can make an appointment at a community clinic. All appointments are booked centrally through Quebec’s appointment-booking portal Clic Santé. New Brunswick The New Brunswick government urged residents to get their first dose, since the first stage of their provincial reopening plan hinges on a 75% vaccination rate. Initial estimates were that this goal would be reached by June 7, but as of June 11, 73.6% of New Brunswick residents 12 and older have received a first dose. New Brunswick pharmacies provide COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 12 or older. Jake Reid, president of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association told CTV News that he expects getting to the second phase of reopening will be easier, because it hinges on 20% of people 65 or older having a second dose. “I fully expect that will be an easy target to reach considering that at least half of that age group have received their second dose.” Reid reminded people to keep their vaccination certificates to give them more flexibility on where to get a second dose. “Because there's a compressed timeframe of opening up those cohorts for second dose, it really means there’s a lot more people coming at the same time trying to get those second dose appointments,” he said. “So, let's just exercise patience.” People 55 and older who received a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at least eight weeks ago can get a second dose through participating pharmacies or public health clinics. Participating pharmacies can be found on the government website and eligible residents book their appointment through the pharmacy. Clinics run by Horizon Health Network or Vitalité Health Network are also providing COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone aged 12 or older. Nova Scotia Nova Scotians are being invited by email to reschedule their second dose appointment to an earlier date when they become eligible. People can reschedule to get their second dose at any clinic or pharmacy across the province. Nova Scotians who received a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine before April 21 can reschedule their second dose appointment to before June 30. Nova Scotia is recommending an mRNA vaccine for the second dose, according to a June 8 press release. “A recent study shows that a second dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) after a first dose of AstraZeneca results in a better immune response than two doses of AstraZeneca,” the press release reads. “The province’s recommendation is based on this emerging evidence and the risk of rare but serious blood clotting events associated with AstraZeneca.” Nova Scotians 12 years and older can now book appointments to get a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a community clinic or one of the participating pharmacies. All appointments are booked through the province’s booking system. P.E.I. P.E.I. pharmacies are giving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to people 18 years and older who make an appointment with one of the 12 participating pharmacies. Pharmacies are contacting patients who received an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy with details about a second dose appointment. Patients will have the option of getting Moderna or AstraZeneca COVID vaccine at a pharmacy as a second dose, eight weeks after their first dose. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is not currently offered at pharmacies, but that may change if supply increases, Erin MacKenzie, executive director of the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association, told CBC news on June 2. “I think people are very anxious to get vaccinated and they're excited to find out about when their second dose will be coming. So certainly, that has reflected in the number of calls coming into pharmacies,” MacKenzie said. On June 11 the provincial government announced that P.E.I. will receive 29,000 COVID-19 doses before the end of June. “These additional doses will be key to reaching our vaccination targets as soon as possible,” Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.’s chief public health officer said in a press release. “Our ‘Moving Forward’ reopening plan is hinged on vaccination rates in our province and the level of disease in Atlantic Canada and across the country – with the additional supply being received in the coming weeks I am encouraging all Islanders to book an appointment to get vaccinated.” Anyone 12 years or older can book an appointment at to get vaccinated at a community immunization clinic. The province plans to hold some clinics in schools for children aged 12 to 15. Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacies in Newfoundland and Labrador are giving COVID-19 vaccines to people 18 years and over and second doses to people who were initially scheduled for a second dose between July 16 and August 5 (mostly people 70 years old or older). Appointments are made with the pharmacy. The pharmacies have Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. While supply is low right now, “we’re expecting a significant allocation next week for community pharmacies specifically,” Janice Audeau told VOCM radio on June 10. Audeau is the president of the Pharmacy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador and is a community pharmacist in Corner Brook. Even with low supply, the wait time for an appointment in the pharmacies is shorter than at public health clinics in some cases. “A lot of people are moving over to the pharmacy stream to get vaccinated sooner,” Audeau said. Pharmacies in every region of the province are participating, she said. The government provides PPE to the pharmacies. Audeau hinted that compensation to pharmacies may not be adequate given the work involved. “I try to stay off the compensation piece because at the end of the day we’re here to help people, but there may be some pharmacies that don’t participate because of the compensation not really reflecting the amount of work and the value that a pharmacist giving this really adds,” Audeau said. “It is really exciting to be part of it,” Audeau said. “It definitely has not been an easy process to get here and we’re glad to finally seek some kind of a positive upswing to the way we get to practice these days. Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador who are 12 years old or older can also book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a community clinic. Certain groups are allowed to reschedule their second dose appointment to an earlier date, including people who received an AstraZeneca COVD-19 vaccine before April 16 and would like to get an mRNA vaccine for a second dose. Nunavut Nunavut is providing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to residents 18 years and older through community clinics. Northwest territories Vaccines are being given out in community clinics. Every resident 12 years and older is now being offered a COVID-19 vaccine. Yukon COVID-19 vaccines are available to all residents of the Yukon over 12, and are given at community clinics. A previous update of the vaccine rollout in community pharmacies across Canada was published on June 12.

Pharmacies rushing to provide accelerated second doses

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