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
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING 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.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
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.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.