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More than two million Canadians are likely wondering what’s next after several provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario pushed the pause button on first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19.
Alberta and Saskatchewan say it’s a matter of supply constraints; there simply isn’t enough AstraZeneca in the provinces. Ontario is pausing first doses out of an “abundance of caution” over the risk of VITT vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia an unusual clotting disorder that can cause rare cases of serious blood clots, including clots in the brain and other critical organs. Ontario is also expecting increased supplies of Pfizer and Moderna, mRNA vaccines that haven’t been linked with VITT. The risk-benefit has shifted, experts say. Here’s a breakdown of where things stand with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
About two million Canadians who got an AstraZeneca shot are likely wondering what to do amid shortages and concerns about blood clots. Here s what you need to…
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Over the weekend, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, told an online audience that even the fully vaccinated can still spread and contract COVID-19. “There’s reduction in your risk of transmission, but it doesn’t necessarily eliminate your risk of transmission,” she told a virtual town hall.
The statement is technically true. But the risk of transmission for the fully vaccinated is so infinitesimally low – about 0.01 per cent according to U.S. data – that Tam may as well be highlighting the dangers of getting strangled by a seatbelt.
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TORONTO Ontario will likely mix and match COVID-19 vaccine doses in light of uncertain future supply of all the shots approved for use in Canada.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says it’s likely that recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine may receive a different shot for their second dose.
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The province is waiting for the results from a U.K. study on mixing different vaccines and on advice from a federal immunization panel.
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OTTAWA – The co-chair of Canada’s vaccine advisory committee says anyone who took the AstraZeneca vaccine did the right thing and shouldn’t feel they got a second-best vaccine.
Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, the co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Immunization, put out a statement late Wednesday night, clarifying comments she made earlier this week.
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Try refreshing your browser, or No need for buyer s remorse on AstraZeneca shots, NACI co-chair says Back to video
When NACI released its recommendation on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the advisory committee said Canadians who can wait for an mRNA vaccine, like Pfizer or Moderna, should do so, rather than taking a viral-vector type vaccine like Johnson & Johnson, or AstraZeneca.