Take the first COVID vaccine you're offered, PM says
`The science is evolving,' Trudeau says
• Just as 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Canada Tuesday, new guidelines will restrict the number of people who can take it, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to trust the science and accept the first vaccine they are offered.
Public health officers across the country suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people under the age of 55 over concerns the vaccine might cause rare, but serious and potentially fatal blood clots. Canada has already received 500,000 doses of the vaccine and a further 1.5 million were on route from the United Stated on Tuesday.
The American doses are to be sent to provinces this week after a few regulatory hurdles are worked out. A further 1.5 million doses of the vaccine manufactured in India are due before midMay, and the government has a further 18.5 million doses on order.
The clots have been recorded in only a few dozen patients in Europe, even while millions of doses have been administered, but the evidence suggests younger people are at higher risk of the clots, while at relatively lower risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
Trudeau said he understands Canadians' confusion, but health officials are being prudent and cautious.
“I understand how challenging this can be for Canadians. The science is evolving as we get more and more data experts are refining and shifting their recommendations,” he said.
He stressed Canadians who are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine should take it because the risk of COVID-19 is far greater.
“The bottom line for Canadians is the right vaccine for you to take is the very first vaccine that you are offered.”
The evidence on the clots is still scattered, with some studies assessing the risk at one in a million cases, while more recent studies put it at one in 100,000 cases. The U.K. has rolled out millions of doses of the vaccine and has had no significant issues with blood clots.
Dr. Menaka Pai, a specialist in blood clotting disorders and associate professor at McMaster University, said the pause is the right call so more research can be collected.
“We are dealing with information that's coming in fast and furious. We do have reports from the EU that are being constantly updated,” she said. “Even though that risk is rare, these are very serious clots, and we're in the process of learning more about how to best diagnose and treat them.”
While the clots have been rare, in 40 per cent of cases they have been fatal and Pai said that has to be scrutinized. “They're causing not just blood clots, but very aggressive blood clots, blood clots in unusual locations.”
The change in AstraZeneca's use came from three separate government agencies on Monday.
Health Canada demanded the company pull more data on these potential clots in Canada broken down by age, but did not change the vaccine's authorization to limit age groups. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended it be excluded for people under 55 and provincial public health officers acting as a group decided to follow that advice.
This is the second change to AstraZeneca's use: NACI initially suggested it should not be used in seniors because of a lack of data. NACI later reversed that decision when more information came in.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said as confusing as it might be, each part of the vaccine process is important.
“I think you've seen that at play (Monday) to take the precautionary approach to keep Canadians as safe as possible while offering a safe and effective vaccine,” she said.
Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease expert at McMaster University, said the one in 100,000 risk might seem remote, but that's a broad sampling with all age groups involved. Most of the people who have experienced the clots have been younger women and Chagla said given there are other vaccines it makes sense to be cautious.
“We know we seem to have a population that seems to be at higher risk where we could offer them an alternative,” he said.
On alternatives, Trudeau announced that Pfizer had agreed to move up five million doses of its vaccine, originally scheduled for later this summer, into the first quarter, which would see the country have nearly 40 million doses before Canada Day, not including the AstraZeneca doses still arriving.
In addition to that, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday she expects the first shipments of 10 million Johnson and Johnson vaccines, which requires only one dose, to arrive in April.