On the eve of the first round of COVID-19 vaccines, the country’s top doctor is reminding Canadians to keep up the effort.
“It is very important to understand that the events of the past week do not change our current situation,” said Dr. Theresa Tam in a statement on Sunday. “Canada, as well as many other countries, are still experiencing high COVID-19 infection rates.”
A vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech is set to arrive in Canada on Monday, with health care workers and seniors at the front of the line. The first round will be limited, although Tam says 249,000 doses will arrive over the course of December. As well, Health Canada officials say they expect to approve a vaccine made by Moderna soon.
In Ontario, the first shots will be given out on Tuesday, at pilot projects in Toronto and Ottawa.
However, Health Canada is encouraging Canadians with severe allergies to talk to their doctor before getting the vaccine, as there is a small risk of adverse reactions.
