B.C. pharmacies have issued nearly 90,000 AstraZeneca jabs

B.C. pharmacies have administered almost 90,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged 55 to 65 since the parallel vaccination program launched March 31.

However, Premier John Horgan, who is 61, isn't one of them as he has said he is waiting his turn in the age-based program.

The figures for the AstraZeneca vaccine, provided to Postmedia by the provincial Health Ministry, represent about eight per cent of the nearly 1.15 million vaccines administered in B.C. as of Tuesday and about 12 per cent of the 700,000 British Columbians between the ages of 55 and 65. This will relieve some of the pressure on the age-based vaccination rollout that relies on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, supplies of which can be unpredictable.

Since B.C. suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 55 due to blood clot concerns, the province has used its supply to vaccinate 55-to-65year-olds, who have a lower risk of blood clots.

Horgan, who lives in Langford, west of Victoria, was asked Tuesday if he had received the AstraZeneca vaccine from his local pharmacy and whether doing so might alleviate vaccine hesitancy. An online survey from Angus Reid found that the majority of unvaccinated Canadians say they're uncomfortable with receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Friday received his first dose of AstraZeneca at his local pharmacy in front of cameras.

Horgan said he and his wife, Ellie, registered for vaccination through the province's Get Vaccinated portal, which is for British Columbians who will get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine through the age-based vaccination program.

“So I have been staying in that (age-based vaccination) stream, but I have been discussing with my colleagues whether or not it would be a good idea for me to get an AstraZeneca vaccine,” Horgan told reporters. “I'd have no hesitation whatsoever. I was more inclined to wait my turn.

But if Dr. Bonnie Henry and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization supported having the shot, “I would do that in a minute,” he said.

On Tuesday, health officials confirmed the first case of a Canadian who developed a blood clot after being vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. A Quebec woman, whose age was not released, developed a clot and received medical care, the province's Health Ministry and Public Health Agency of Canada reported.

Health Canada has asked AstraZeneca for a full risk assessment of its vaccine after reports of similar incidents in Europe, but says the side-effect is extremely rare and the vaccine's benefits still outweigh its risks. More than 700,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in Canada, and the risk of getting blood clots from COVID -19 itself is far higher than from the vaccine.

The news came as Health Canada said it was investigating reports of clots linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States.

The single-shot vaccine, which was approved for use in Canada on March 5, has yet to be used as part of the national vaccine rollout since no doses have been delivered to this country.

B.C. will also begin rolling out vaccines to specific COVID-19 hot-spot workplaces, communities and neighbourhoods, but Health Minister Adrian Dix did not provide details Tuesday on how those communities will be identified or made public.

Police officers and firefighters in COVID-19 hot spots across the Lower Mainland and the Sea-toSky corridor have been called this week to receive their shots. Surrey school district teachers and staff have also been prioritized for the vaccine.

A mass vaccination campaign was used in Prince Rupert in March after a series of outbreaks. This week, Vancouver Coastal Health began administering COVID-19 vaccines to all adults living or working in Whistler, which has been the epicentre of a major outbreak of the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil.

At least 197 cases of that variant have been confirmed in Whistler and 974 cases in B.C.

On Tuesday, Dix couldn't provide clear answers on how the province will determine what constitutes a COVID hot spot and how those communities will be notified of vaccinations. Ontario, by contrast, has published a list of postal codes where the virus is spreading and where residents 18 and over are eligible for vaccination.

I have been discussing ... whether or not it would be a good idea for me to get an AstraZeneca vaccine. I'd have no hesitation.