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
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.