Pfizer COVID-19 antiviral drug could arrive by end of week: Alberta Health
The first pills of Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral drug could arrive in Alberta by the end of the week, officials say.
An Alberta Health spokesperson told CTV News Edmonton the department was working with the federal government to confirm a timeline.
"We hope to receive a first shipment by the end of this week," Chastity Anderson wrote in an email.
The drug was the first oral and at-home prescription medication to be cleared for use in Canada on Monday, with Health Canada's chief medical advisor, Dr. Supriya Sharma, commenting, "No drug, including Paxlovid, is a substitute for vaccination."
The first 30,400 treatment courses – of one million secured by Canada – landed in the country on the weekend. Ottawa has said it will distribute the medication throughout the week.
Anderson did not say how many treatments Alberta would receive.
SHIPMENT TO GO TO LOCAL PHARMACIES
While supply is limited both domestically and globally, provinces have been asked to prioritize giving Paxlovid to:
Individuals who have the highest likelihood of severe illness including those who are immunocompromised regardless of vaccination status;
Individuals over the age of 80 whose vaccinations are not up to date; and
Canadians aged 60 or older who live in underserved rural or remote communities, long-term care homes, who are from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, or whose vaccinations are not up to date.
According to Anderson, Alberta's first doses will be distributed to a "small number of community pharmacies."
"We’re reviewing Health Canada’s guidelines and working with clinicians to determine eligibility criteria. We want to make sure the drug goes to those who will benefit the most, especially early on when the supply will be limited," she added.
Although Dr. Alain Tremblay at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine considers Paxlovid the first "truly effective oral therapy for outpatients with COVID," he said the drug's initial limited supply will be a restraint on its broader impact.
"I can guarantee that it's not going to be enough to treat everyone that might qualify, so there's going to be some decisions to make on how to make sure that the right people, that it's equitable," he commented.
Health Canada has ruled the pill can be given to adults aged 18 and older to treat mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 if they have a confirmed positive test and are at high risk of becoming seriously ill.
The authorization also comes with specific instructions on scenarios in which the regime cannot be used, including to prevent COVID-19 infections or to treat patients who are already hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 cases.
Paxlovid cannot be taken for longer than five days in a row.
With files from CTV News Calgary and CTVNews.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.