Pfizer doubles vaccines to Canada amid third wave

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday Pfizer is doubling the amount of vaccines to Canada over the next month and he announced the Red Cross is ready to be deployed in Ontario to help with vaccinations amid a record wave of coronavirus infections fueled by variants.

Trudeau said the pandemic is particularly bad in Canada’s largest city of Toronto, where record-breaking numbers are filling intensive care hospital beds.

“Ontario has reached out for more support. I can tell you today that we are standing by to deploy the Canadian Red Cross to help with their mobile vaccination teams. This is about getting doses to people where the situation is most serious,” Trudeau said.

A spokesperson for Ontario's premier denied it had asked for help.

“While we appreciate the prime minister’s offer, unless it is matched with an increase in supply, we do not need the Red Cross at this time for the administration of vaccines in Ontario. We do not have a capacity issue, we have a supply issue," said Ivana Yelich, a spokesperson for Ontario's premier.

Ontario, however, is pleading with other provinces to send nurses and other health workers. In a letter to all provinces and territories, the Ontario government noted it is short thousands of nurses. The deputy minister of health, Helen Angus, also asked whether her counterparts have any resources to spare. Her letter says the pandemic has strained hospital capacity, particularly intensive care.

Angus estimated Ontario will be short 4,145 nurses in the hospital sector alone over the next four months.

`"We are projecting a need for this critical support for four months following the anticipated peak of the third wave," Angus wrote.

Trudeau said this is likely the final and toughest stretch of the pandemic, but...