B.C. pharmacies seeing cancelled vaccine appointments after new AstraZeneca guidance
Some people are cancelling their vaccine appointments at B.C. pharmacies after new guidance was issued for AstraZeneca.
Azmina Jiwa is the owner of Bonsor Pharmacy in Burnaby. She says “some people have cancelled” their second-dose appointments “and a few are undecided.”
That’s something also being seen at London Drugs.
“We did have some people cancel their appointment, but not a significant number,” said Chris Chiew, general manager of pharmacy for London Drugs.
The cancellations come after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) changed its guidance. On Thursday, the committee announced it is now recommending that people who received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine receive a second dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
So far, B.C.’s guidance has not changed. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stressed Thursday that “two doses of whatever vaccine you receive are safe and effective."
The mixed messaging is causing confusion.
Horacio Bach is a clinical assistant professor with the division of infectious diseases at UBC. He says there was no need for the committee to issue the new guidance.
“I think it was an unnecessary confusion to do that,” Bach said, adding when it comes to efficacy, AstraZeneca’s is extremely high.
“Recent studies released from the U.K. show the effectivity is 85 to 90 per cent, so it’s very close to the Pfizer (vaccine’s efficacy),” he said.
Both Jiwa and Chiew say despite the confusion, people are still making appointments for second AstraZeneca shots. London Drugs is even planning to ramp up the rollout beyond the 20 locations currently offering vaccines.
“We’re hoping that all the stores that we have in B.C., all the locations will be able to offer second doses, but it also depends on supply too,” Chiew said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.