B.C. premier gets 2nd AstraZeneca dose, says best choice is 'first vaccine you're offered'
The premier of British Columbia received a second dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, following updated national immunization recommendations that have left some Canadians scratching their heads.
John Horgan shared a picture of his blurred out vaccination card on social media, writing that "the best vaccine is the first vaccine you're offered."
The premier received his first shot of AstraZeneca in the middle of April, as health officials were in the process of reviewing the vaccine's link to very rare blood clots, and offered a similar message encouraging people to join B.C.'s immunization effort at the earliest opportunity.
"The advice I’ve been given today is that you should take the first vaccine that’s offered to you because it's in the interest of not just yourself, but your neighbours, your family, and your community," Horgan said at the time.
On Thursday, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization presented updated guidance for Canadians, recommending that those who received AstraZeneca for their first dose get one of the mRNA vaccines for their second.
NACI cited growing evidence that a mix-and-match approach for AstraZeneca recipients provides a stronger antibody response.
The announcement caused some confusion among vaccine recipients, including those who had recently received their second dose of AstraZeneca, though officials stressed that the vaccine remains safe and effective.
Still, some B.C. pharmacies that are currently administering second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine said they have received a wave of cancellations since the announcement.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the updated recommendation was not unexpected, given the preliminary data emerging in other parts of the world, but that B.C. was not changing its approach to the vaccine.
"It's important to remember that this is new information, that we are continuing to learn as we use more of these vaccines around the world and as more studies are done," Henry said.
"Mixing an mRNA after a dose of AstraZeneca may give some boost to the immune system, but we don't know whether that translates into whether you're better protected or not. We don't know that definitively, and we may not know that for some time."
NACI also cited the rare risk of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic, or VITT, associated with AstraZeneca. As of May 31, only three people in B.C. had developed VITT after receiving the vaccine, and none of the incidents were fatal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.