Pfizer to double vaccine deliveries in June

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians just need to hold on "a little longer" as he promises even more vaccine doses will arrive this spring.

Pfizer is going to send five million more vaccine doses to Canada in June than it previously planned, and AstraZeneca will ship 4.4 million doses by the end of June.

We’re giving an update on the current COVID-19 situation, the work we’re doing to roll out vaccines, and the steps we’re taking to protect your health. Watch it live: https://t.co/8RVhhse9eX

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 30, 2021

That news however comes as concern about the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots has pushed all provinces to stop using it for people under age 55 pending further analysis.

Trudeau says while the end of the pandemic is nearing, and vaccines are going to start flowing faster, variants are adding to the risk and Canadians cannot yet throw caution aside.

COVID-19 is spreading faster in many parts of the country, driven by variants of the virus that are not only more contagious but are making people sicker.

Dr. Theresa Tam says hospitalizations are up six per cent in the last week and the number of patients needing critical care is up 14 per cent.