VANCOUVER -- Publicly available data on COVID-19 vaccine distribution from across Canada suggests British Columbia is doing better than all other provinces and territories except for one, when it comes to translating those deliveries into jabs.
The numbers come from the COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group, a group of scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph. A CTV News Vancouver analysis of the data shows that, as of April 7, B.C. has administered 76 per cent of vaccines that have been distributed in the province.
That figure is cumulative and based on the entire time period since B.C. since began vaccinating its residents in December 2020.
While the working group provides cumulative totals of vaccine distribution and shots given each day, CTV News used a seven-day rolling average of those figures in order to account for spikes in deliveries, differences in vaccine arrival dates among different provinces, and differences in reporting frequency between public bodies.
Though B.C. is ahead of the pack on an overall basis, the province is not doing nearly as well at translating shipments into shots now as it was earlier in 2021.
Each date below offers a cumulative snapshot in time that shows how well B.C. has done in delivering vaccine doses up to that date.
How is BC doing when it comes to getting doses in arms?
- April 7, 2021: 76.0% of vaccines distributed have been administered
- March 31, 2021: 78.9%
- March 7, 2021: 79.8%
- February 7, 2021: 93.9%
Source: COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group
(Dec. 14, 2020 - Apr. 7, 2021 - 7 day cumulative rolling average)
When compared with other provinces and territories, as of April 7, B.C. comes out second.
How is BC doing compared to other provinces?
- Sakatchewan - 85.7%
- BC - 76.0%
- ON - 75.6%
- QC - 74.6%
- Canada Average- 73.9%
- NWT- 73.5%
- AB - 73.1%
- PEI - 72.4%
- NB- 72.2%
- YK - 70.2%
- NL - 66.6%
- MB - 60.2%
- NS - 59.5%
- NU - N/A
Source: COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group
(Dec. 14, 2020 - Apr. 7, 2021 - 7 day cumulative rolling average)
The so-called “vaccine gap” has also been on the rise nationally.
Canada-wide, the data showed 77.7 per cent of vaccines that were distributed between Dec. 14 and Mar. 7 were also administered. Stepping back a month and looking at the period from Dec. 14 to Feb. 7, the national average jumps to 86.9 percent.
It’s important to note provinces and territories report vaccine data differently, and with differing frequency, which may also influence the overall numbers.
Federal and provincial officials also point to lag times in the data, irregular and unpredictable delivery and distribution schedules, and sometimes doses that are deliberately delayed for remote or rural areas so the resources to administer them can be put into place.
