'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
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.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.