The first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are set to arrive in Canada on Wednesday as confusion persists over who should get it.
Canada is getting the largest number of deliveries the country has seen this week, including half a million doses of the newly-approved shot.
Health officials are facing pressure to efficiently distribute the AstraZeneca doses because 300,000 of the 500,000 doses set to arrive will expire by the first week of April.
The vaccine is the third approved in the county and was authorized for use Friday on all adults, including seniors, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is concerned there is limited data on how well the vaccine will work in older populations.
The NACI is not recommending the shot for anyone over the age of 65.
While all three approved vaccines are 100 per cent effective against death and hospitalization as a result of COVID-19, the NACI says the two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna should be prioritized for Canadians over 65.
In a recent analysis in England, that study showed a single shot of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the chance of needing hospital treatment by more than 80 per cent.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, says the message from Health Canada is actually consistent with the advisory committee. That message being that it’s preferable to give seniors the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which have proven in clinical trials to be more effective in guarding older people against COVID-19.
But Sharma says seniors shouldn’t wait for a Pfizer or Moderna shot if they have the opportunity to get the AstraZeneca shot sooner.
Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the NACI recommendations are not final.
“They will update as needed but this is what they recommend at this point in time,” said Tam on Tuesday.
Tam says all vaccines should be administered as soon as they arrive and that it is up to provinces to determine who is best placed to get which vaccines, but all are safe and effective
Ontario’s health minister said Tuesday that the province is expected to secure doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine next week but will follow a national panel’s advice not to inoculate anyone above 65 years old with the shot.
Christine Elliott announced that the province will make an announcement on the distribution of AstraZeneca’s vaccine soon, adding that the plan to administer the shots is still being finalized. Elliott said the province will wait for confirmation from the NACI on delaying the second dose before releasing details to the public.
Other provinces, including Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, plan to follow the advisory committee’s advice and target the AstraZeneca vaccine at younger people working in front-line essential services or in high-risk settings like prisons.
Some provinces, including Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, are still mulling over the issue.
“All of these vaccines are 100 per cent good at preventing serious cases,” said epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan to CityNews. “So if your goal here is to avoid having scarred lungs and long-term disability and hospitalization and death, all the vaccines that Health Canada has authorized get that job done.”
Deonandan cautioned against comparing vaccines head to head.
“There may not be a decision to be made,” says Deonandan. “You’re offered what you’re offered.”
Canada is also getting 445,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week.
The country is on track to receive a total of 6.5 million vaccine doses by the end of March.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to give an update on the vaccine rollout Wednesday at a news briefing.
With files from the Canadian Press
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LjY4MG5ld3MuY29tLzIwMjEvMDMvMDMvaGFsZi1hLW1pbGxpb24tYXN0cmF6ZW5lY2EtZG9zZXMtYXJyaXZlLWluLWNhbmFkYS1hbWlkLWNvbmZ1c2lvbi1vdmVyLWl0cy11c2Uv0gF1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuNjgwbmV3cy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMy8wMy9oYWxmLWEtbWlsbGlvbi1hc3RyYXplbmVjYS1kb3Nlcy1hcnJpdmUtaW4tY2FuYWRhLWFtaWQtY29uZnVzaW9uLW92ZXItaXRzLXVzZS9hbXAv?oc=5
2021-03-03 11:18:25Z
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