WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor Regional Hospital received its third shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, allowing for more individuals to be vaccinated.

WRH officials say they have started second doses Tuesday and will be doing nothing but second doses starting Jan.24, unless more are procured by the federal government and sent to Windsor-Essex.

Nearly 5,600 individuals had received an initial vaccination as of Monday.

The first individuals were vaccinated starting on Dec. 22, from a shipment received the day before. A second shipment was received on Jan. 5.

Without Tuesday’s shipment, WRH says they would have run out of its remaining doses by the end of Wednesday.

"We are 'stealing' future doses by putting as many vaccines into people’s arms as possible as directed by the Province. It is the right thing to do,” said WRH President and CEO David Musyj.

Windsor Regional Hospital has been vaccinating 500 people a day focusing on the priority groups set by the province.

At the same time, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is in charge of distributing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. All 19 long-term care homes have been vaccinated in the region. By the end of Tuesday, the health unit expects 13 of the 25 retirement homes will have received the Moderna vaccine.