Feds gauge J&J vaccine interest among provinces, after requests from the West

The federal government is gauging interest among provinces and territories for shipments of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, after Alberta, Saskatchewan, and B.C. make requests for the viral vector shot.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu said on Friday that Ottawa has started to survey the provinces and territories despite the government not having any usable doses on hand.

“We are working right now on those requests and have also offered an option to all provinces and territories who are interested in acquiring doses of Johnson & Johnson. We will be trying to provide those as quickly as possible to the provinces that are currently seeking them,” she said during a press conference.

“Currently we don’t have usable doses on hand, and so we’re looking for additional doses.”

Health Canada has authorized the one-dose vaccine for use, but the federal government announced in the spring that it would not release its first shipment of more than 300,000 doses for use.