Provincial Health Officials are scaling back the delivery of the Astra Zeneca vaccine in Saskatchewan.

Announced during Tuesday's news conference, Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer made a brief comment about the decision, and spoke with media during the question and answer session that followed.

While other provinces have made similar decisions due to a minimal risk of blood-clotting complications, so far Saskatchewan officials are insisting that their decision is one of supply, not safety.

With Astra Zeneca making its debut in the SHA's arsenal in March, and with no more than 16 weeks recommended between doses, most of those who received their first doses of AZ will be eligible for their second in June; a time when prospects for receiving stock of the vaccine are in question.

Instead, health officials are now discussing the efficacy of using the much more prevalent Pfizer mRNA vaccine as a second dose for those who received Astra Zeneca for their first, with Dr. Shahab reporting that new information is continuing to climb in that regard.

“There is good information emerging, and we will be confirming the same over the next two weeks, that any vaccine such as Pfizer as a second dose is perfectly safe and effective if your first dose is AstraZeneca. If we have AstraZeneca available at that time, that can be offered as well.”

Shipments of Pfizer and Moderna have continued to come into Saskatchewan clinics at a much faster pace than previously, while Astra Zeneca has slowed down.