Ontario’s vaccine rollout is anything but a slam dunk

QUEEN’S PARK — While Premier Doug Ford claims Ontario is leading the country when it comes to vaccines, his own data says otherwise.

And while Ford’s special advisor, General Rick Hillier, claimed Wednesday Ontario is vaccinating 16,000 to 18,000 Ontarians a day, data says that’s not true either.

Fact: Ontario is seventh in the country for vaccine rollout

On Wednesday Ford claimed Ontario is leading the country when it comes to the vaccine rollout. That’s not true.

Ontario ranks seventh in the country out of the provinces, and tenth including territories, for per capita population vaccinated.

Fact: Quebec’s vaccine distribution strategy has been praised

On Wednesday Ford claimed Quebec has not yet issued a single second dose. Quebec has deliberately chosen to roll out the first dose to a wider population, which data shows is being successful, and means Quebec has started vaccinating many more people than Ontario.

Fact: Ontario has yet to reach an average of 18,000 a day

Ford’s hand-picked vaccine distribution consultant, Rick Hillier, said Wednesday that Ontario has reached 18,000 vaccines per day on average.

Ontario’s own data shows that’s not yet the case. In the month of February, Ontario averaged just 10,000 vaccine doses a day.