While the vaccination clinics in our small towns have been underway, elsewhere around the country there is again a vaccine shortage.

First there was news of Canada’s approval of vaccines, then it was the Pfizer delay followed by a ramped-up vaccination effort all across the country to ensure remote regions, Indigenous population and frontline workers get vaccinated quickly. This was all followed by Canada’s strategy to increase the number of months between the first and second dose by four months to make sure everyone in the country at least gets their first dose.

The vaccination schedule was then said to have been on track and it had started to look like Canada would be able to move up the schedule too. However last week, the government announced that almost 855,600 Moderna doses were delayed, which prompted the health clinics to reshuffle plans, postpone appointments, change schedules.

This is definitely, extremely frustrating. Almost like Vancouver weather. Never knowing whether the sun is going shine or it is going to pour down.

But blaming the government, the healthcare workers, pointing fingers is not going to bring us anywhere near the end of the pandemic. Yes, those responsible for any missteps need to be held accountable and there will be plenty of time to do that once the pandemic is behind us. But right now, health officials are doing the best they can with the limited information they have. This is an unprecedented healthcare nightmare and yes, for those wanting to compare this to the pandemics or health outbreaks from the past, I would just say this, that while countries ought to be prepared and have contingency plans in place, there are several things beyond our control.

Our friends and family spread across all over the country and the world, is still continuing to remain in the middle of the pandemic with cases on the rise, deaths and uncertainty. And in the coming days, it will matter what we will do, all of those who have been vaccinated with one dose or both. How these groups of people will act, could determine how the rest of the year will play out and whether COVID would continue into the next year or we would finally see the end to its deadliest forms at least, by the end of this year.

So let’s help unburden the healthcare officials and healthcare workers, let’s continue wearing masks, social distancing, following the COVID protocols and making it easier on health authorities and the enforcement authorities by simply staying in your bubbles.

Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar

priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net

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