Waterloo Region Record

COVID-19 vaccine wastage, unco-ordinated bookings found

Ontario said to have overestimated demand for boosters

ALLISON JONES

Ontario wasted 38 per cent of COVID-19 vaccine doses between February and June because it overestimated demand for boosters, said the province’s auditor, who also found the government ran a disorganized booking system and doesn’t fully track adult vaccinations.

Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk said in her annual report Wednesday that overall COVID-19 vaccine wastage is nine per cent, or 3.4 million doses. About half of that could have been avoided with better forecasting of demand.

Wastage rates varied quite a bit between public health units, and one private company wasted 57 per cent of its supply between May 2021 and May 2022, but the province hasn’t determined the causes, Lysyk said.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones offered a partial explanation at a news conference Wednesday, saying one of the clinics that that company ran was for seasonal agriculture workers arriving at Pearson International Airport, and their arrivals weren’t always predictable.

“I am incredibly proud and satisfied that as a result of the work that we did ... over 82 per cent of Ontarians over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated in the province of Ontario,” the health minister said, referring to those who have received two doses.

“Whether it was in pharmacy, whether it was in a mass vaccination clinic, in community or in some cases in businesses, whether it was at your local pharmacy, we got the job done, and we now have a protected community as a result.”

Ontario is at about the middle of the pack when compared to COVID-19 vaccination rates in other provinces and territories.

The auditor said the province’s COVID-19 vaccine communication strategy was not always effective.

“It was disorganized, inconsistent and lacking detail about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, suggesting that Ontarians may not have been as well informed as possible in their decision-making,” Lysyk wrote.

“The Ministry did not always provide clear information on whether to get additional vaccine doses and did not effectively combat misinformation about the vaccine. Health experts informed us that they believed the government’s communication approach sometimes undermined public confidence in vaccination.”

Lysyk also identified problems with the system for booking vaccination appointments, as the province created its own portal but about half of public health units are using their own, while some hospitals, pharmacies and private companies are using their own methods as well.

“Multiple booking systems also encouraged Ontarians to ‘vaccine shop’ by registering for multiple appointments to try to get either the quickest appointment or a specific vaccine brand,” Lysyk wrote in the report.

“The continued absence of a centralized booking system (as of August 2022) increases the likelihood of unnecessary wastage continuing into the future since such no-show appointments can result in more wasted doses of vaccine.”

Multiple bookings led to about 227,000 no-shows in 2021 in the provincial booking system alone, the auditor found.

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2022-12-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-01T08:00:00.0000000Z

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