Don't get AstraZeneca for 2nd dose if mRNA was your first, B.C. health officials say
People who received an mRNA vaccine for their first dose are being advised to stick with that type for their second dose.
While health officials have said it's fine to mix and match between mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, or to follow up an AstraZeneca vaccine with ad mRNA shot, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that people shouldn't seek a dose of AstraZeneca if their first dose was an mRNA vaccine.
Although Henry did not explain her reasoning behind the one-directional approach with the AstraZeneca vaccine, the shot is associated with a very rare risk of blood clotting.
“I don't see a scenario where we would give AstraZeneca as a second dose (to people who received mRNA first), with the one exception of people who had an allergic reaction to an mRNA vaccine,” she said.
However, for those who received AstraZeneca as their first dose, B.C. continues to recommend that people choose whether they want to follow up with that type for their second dose, or whether to mix it up and get an mRNA vaccine.
Last week the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) updated its recommendations around the AstraZeneca vaccine. It’s now recommending that people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine receive a second dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moderna. The advice is based on emerging evidence that suggests a better immune response when a person gets AstraZeneca as their first dose, and then follows it up with an mRNA vaccine for their second dose.
Although B.C. hasn’t changed its policy, and is continuing to offer the AstraZeneca vaccine, there’s been a decline in the number of people seeking the AstraZeneca vaccine.
It’s leaving some to wonder whether there will be a surplus of AstraZeneca, and whether an enhanced immune response is also seen when you get mRNA first and follow it up with AstraZeneca. Neither Henry nor Health Minister Adrian Dix seemed concerned that there would be a glut of AstraZeneca, and Henry recommended against AstraZeneca as a second dose after an mRNA vaccine.
They both emphasized that many more mRNA vaccine shipments are arriving this month.
“Overall we know that we are getting a net increase of vaccines in June,” Dix said
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
NEW How Canadians can watch the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest
Europe’s top pop stars are out and about for the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Malmo, Sweden.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.