Pharmacies prepare for 2nd doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
Four thousand doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have arrived at London Drugs pharmacies across B.C. this weekend. The plan is to start getting shots into arms by the end of this week.
“Anyone who received their first doses of AstraZeneca with London Drugs, we’ll start calling them on Monday to book for their second appointment,” says Chris Chiew, general manager of pharmacy for London Drugs.
Roughly 10,000 British Columbians received their first AstraZeneca shots at London Drugs. Chiew says the process went smoothly, with customers booking appointments and filling out consent forms online, which minimized the amount of time spent at the pharmacies.
Chiew expects the drug store chain will receive another 10,000 doses this time around. However, with AstraZeneca’s vaccine being linked to rare blood clots known as vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), some people have concerns.
Should they get AstraZeneca again? Or should they opt instead to get Pfizer or Moderna as their second dose?
Those are the questions Ajit Johal, pharmacist and clinical director with the Immunize.io Health Association is often asked.
As for the answer, Johal says it comes down to personal preference and comfort. He points out the risk of developing the rare blood clots from AstraZeneca’s vaccine is even lower for the second dose.
“There’s more real-world evidence and more people who have gotten two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which includes a large portion of the United Kingdom, so if you have two doses of AstraZeneca, you know you’ve got very good protection against severe disease,” says Johal.
When it comes to mixing and matching, immunologists say there isn’t much evidence available yet. There are two studies currently underway in the United Kingdom and Spain, and early findings suggest following up an AstraZeneca shot with a Pfizer shot is safe. Still, one epidemiologist suggests people should stick with the same vaccine for both doses whenever possible.
“All of the clinical trials were done with two shots of the same vaccine,” says Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. “That’s what we have the most information about in terms of how it’s tolerated, the efficacy rate and the like. So that should be the first choice.”
But, that may be easier said than done. While pharmacies are the exclusive administrator of AstraZeneca vaccines for second doses, not all pharmacies are choosing to participate. For example, CTV News Vancouver heard from a pharmacy in Delta that provided first doses, but is choosing not to provide second doses, due to staffing issues. That pharmacy’s owners said they know of seven other Metro Vancouver pharmacies opting out of administering second doses because of staff shortages as well. For some, it could spell difficulty booking a second AstraZeneca shot.
London Drugs is placing priority on people who booked first doses with them, but says it will open vaccinations to the general public if extra doses remain.
“If the first pharmacy you went to was not a London Drugs and is unable to help you, don’t hesitate to give us a call by mid-June or the end of June and we’ll see if you can help you out,” says Chiew.
Approximately 280,000 British Columbians received AstraZeneca as a first dose. What remains to be seen is how many people will choose it as their second.
“I support the decisions on both sides, and I applaud people for getting their second dose,” says Johal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.