VANCOUVER -- Health officials have confirmed B.C. residents who had AstraZeneca for their first COVID-19 vaccine dose will have a choice for their second.
Dr. Bonnie Henry's update on B.C.'s vaccine plan came before final results were released from a study on the effectiveness of mixing and matching doses. Initial reports from those studies, however, suggest it is safe to take two different doses.
"For all of those who have received their first dose, you will have the option of receiving your second dose of AstraZeneca," Henry said.
"You can take the information once we have it and make your own decision about what you want for your second dose."
Officials also said those who got AstraZeneca for their first shot and choose to take it again for their second may be able to get their next dose before the end of June. Right now, B.C. has about 20,000 doses of the vaccine set aside for second doses, which will expire at the end of next month.
Henry said the minimum amount of time to wait between getting two AstraZeneca doses is two weeks.
"I ask people to be patient. We know that we have some time as your immune system is developing its protective response to your first dose," she said, adding that more supply is coming to support everyone who wants a second AstraZeneca dose.
"I just want to reassure people that we have not forgotten."
Henry also said it may be possible to move up second doses for everyone in the province, thanks to increased supply.
"We can make sure that those who are older, those who are clinically vulnerable for different reasons are able to get their vaccine dose as soon as we have the supply for dose two," she said Monday.
"Having said that, there's some good studies that have shown that waiting that extra period of time actually gives you a better immune response."
Wtih files from CTV News Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan
