COVID-19 vaccination in Canada started in the week of December 13, 2020.
As of May 19, 2021, when Philippine Showbiz Today went to the presses, the federal government counts 19,349,980 doses administered so far.
The country has a population of around 38 million, based on current estimates available online.
Canada continues to ramp up its vaccination effort, with five approved vaccines.
Four of these are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and COVISHIELD Verity/Serum Institute of India (SII) (COVISHIELD), which are given as two doses.
People who have received only one dose are considered partially vaccinated.
People who have received both doses are considered fully vaccinated.
The fifth approved vaccine is Janssen, which is given as one dose. People who have received only one dose are considered fully vaccinated.
The B.C. provincial government says online that people who have received the vaccine must follow provincial health orders.
Vaccinated people are also to wash hands regularly, stay home when sick, keep a safe distance from others, and wearing a mask in public indoor spaces.
On May 17, the Angus Reid Institute, a well-known polling agency, released a report about changing attitudes to vaccination.
Angus Reid reported that as the rate of Canadians who have been vaccinated with at least one-dose of a COVID-19 vaccine surges to more than 50 percent of the adult population, new data shows Canadians have moved consistently and significantly away from attitudes of “don’t know” or “wait and see” to a place of “getting it done”.
“The Institute’s most recent public opinion survey shows 53 per cent of adults reporting they have received their first vaccine, while another 29 per cent say they would like to receive theirs as soon as possible,” Angus Reid stated.
In addition: “The number who say they are unwilling to receive a vaccine is also trending down – though at a much slower rate.”
Based on its survey, Angus Reid reported that vaccine hesitancy plunges to three per cent.
Moreover, one-tenth of population remain unwilling to be vaccinated.
Canada recorded 4,035 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday (May 18).
As of May 18, Canada has a total of 1,338,141 COVID-19 cases.
Based on the federal government’s online tracker, 37 people died on May 18, bringing the total number of deaths due to the pandemic to 25,018.
The country reported its first COVID-19 death on March 9, 2020.
Canada surpassed 20,000 deaths at the end of January this year.
Also, the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed on May 18 that Canadian residents are allowed to head to the U.S. for a COVID-19 vaccine and avoid quarantine on return if they meet conditions.
Those conditions include having a note from a licensed health-care provider in Canada that the inoculation is medically necessary.
Also, there should be a written proof from the licensed U.S. vaccine provider.
Quarantine regulations passed by the federal government feature an exemption for essential medical services obtained abroad.
A coronavirus vaccination shot falls under this definition.
Canada expects to receive nine million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in June.
