Ontario shouldn’t hold back second dose of vaccine

Re ‘There’s only so much vaccine to go around, ’ Tory says, May 18

We learn that the Pfizer vaccine will soon be available to teenagers 12 years and older.

As a retired teacher and great grandmother, I agree that vaccinating youth so that they can return to in-person learning in September is highly beneficial to their social, emotional and academic development.

But this should not take place while seniors wait four months for their second dose as it is unproven that this will not compromise their immunity.

With a steady supply of the Pfizer vaccine arriving in Canada, all seniors, regardless of medical conditions should be able to get their second dose now. Myrna Levy, Toronto

Re Ontario expands vaccines to 18 and older, May 18

In March, I had my first AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine. I had no side effects except for a sore arm for a few hours. I want my second shot.

The science says the second shot has few or no side effects.

Isn’t it up to me to decide if I take this? Those who don’t want AZ can wait for the other vaccines.

Caroline Werle, Toronto

Despite the fact that AstraZeneca saves lives, we plan to let current supplies expire, not give them to new patients

Have we lost the plot?

Out of an extreme abundance of caution, we have stopped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine, because it has caused four Canadians to die from blood clots.

According to a published report, between 2000 and 2016, an average of 823 Canadians have been killed by guns each year (three-quarters of them died by self-inflicted gun shot wounds), yet there is no likelihood guns will be banned.

Despite the fact that AstraZeneca saves lives, we plan to let current supplies expire, not give them to new patients.

Instead of wasting those shots, why not give them as second doses to voluntary patients?

I’m sure there would be no shortage of people willing to take the risk associated with a second shot in order to get COVID-19 immunity.

Mark Fitzpatrick, Scarborough

I find myself an unwilling victim of AstraZeneca vaccine program of Canada and the Province of Ontario.

Fool that I was, I honestly believed the propaganda spewed out that the first vaccine offered was the best protection.

Now I am placed in a quandary, as it appears that, rather than give me a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible, the province prefers to waste expiring doses and has asked doctors not to give the second dose. Some of these doses are set to expire. Are we waiting for the Indian variant to cut a swathe of death and illness through our population before our government does the right thing and gives us our second Astra Zeneca shot? Or does the provincial government want those of us vaccinated with the first AstraZeneca dose to become its guinea pigs?

In giving people like me the first dose of AstraZeneca, an implicit commitment was made.

Holding back the doses and not delivering on this commitment is extremely, unfair, worrisome and neglects our health.

Should not we be given the choice to take an Astra Zeneca second dose?

Miriam D’Cunha, Unionville