The MP for Kenora is critical for how long it’s taking to get the COVID-19 vaccine to local residents.
Eric Melillo says the federal government has to do a better job of vaccinating people faster.
“This is primary focus for me and my party moving forward and we are urging the government to take action and ensure we can acquire more vaccines and have them distributed across the country.
Melillo says the quicker we can get people vaccinated, the faster our economy can start to recover.
The Conservative says other countries like the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom are vaccinating their population up to three times faster than Canada is.
The call comes as Pfizer has announced it will be reducing Canada’s vaccine deliveries over the next month.
The company indicates the number of doses will be cut in half over the next four weeks, while it upgrades its factory in Belgium.
Pfizer was to ship 735,150 doses to Canada between January 18 and February 14.
Health Minister Christine Elliott confirms Ontario will get reduced numbers.
Elliott says the first shipment will be 20% less and the province will see 80% fewer vaccines in the second shipment.
She stresses this is a very temporary situation as larger doses of vaccines are expected in late February-early March.
Premier Doug Ford is taking the opportunity to defend early moves to hold back some vaccines in case a delay in shipment happened.
“Do we wish we would have held back a little more? Sure we do. But we still have the Moderna coming in and I just ask the federal government, which I have confidence in and they are working hard, to really put pressure on Pfizer right now. Why should someone jump ahead of Canada?”
Ford also wants our country to start producing vaccines.
“Rather then rely on other people around the world that dictate what we get, I think the power of Ontario and Canada as a whole, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to have our own vaccine in the future.”
(With Files From Kevin Jeffery-Thunder Bay and Tim Davidson-Kenora)
