'Our advice has not changed': B.C. still providing 2nd AstraZeneca doses after NACI update
British Columbia is not changing its approach to administering second doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in light of updated recommendations from Canada's immunization advisory committee, health officials said Thursday.
The latest national guidance recommends those who received the viral vector vaccine for their first dose get an mRNA vaccine for their second, citing growing evidence that a mix-and-match approach for AstraZeneca recipients provides superior protection.
Despite those findings, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the B.C. government remains confident that two doses of viral vector vaccine adequately protect against COVID-19.
"Here in B.C., our advice has not changed," Henry said. "We can be very reassured that two doses of whatever vaccine you receive are safe and effective."
Henry's response echoed the message coming from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization earlier in the day, which said Canadians who have already received two doses of AstraZeneca can "rest assured" that they are well protected.
B.C. health officials pointed to the "real-world" evidence gathered locally as well as in the U.K., where two doses of AstraZeneca were recently found to be 85 to 90 per cent effective against symptomatic COVID-19.
Henry also noted the data suggesting there's increased effectiveness associated with mixing vaccines remains preliminary.
"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," the provincial health officer 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 (being) better protected or not. We don't know that definitively, and we may not know that for some time."
British Columbia's approach remains that people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine are free to choose whether they want another viral vector dose or would prefer a shot of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
NACI's guidance recommends that people who received an mRNA vaccine first get another for their booster, but that either of the two will do.
What's important is for the public to get fully protected by receiving a second dose, Henry said, and she encouraged people to do so "as soon as it is available to you."
While announcing their updated recommendations Thursday, NACI officials also cited the very rare risk of blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. As of May 31, three people in B.C. had developed vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic, or VITT.
According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, the risk of serious blood clots after receiving a first shot of AstraZeneca is about one in 100,000. That risk is said to decrease to one in 600,000 for second doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.