New direction on AstraZeneca: NACI offers new advice for second shots
Andrew Forsyth says he thought he was doing the right thing.
As soon as AstraZeneca vaccines became available to his age group in April, he got a shot.
He assumed he'd get AZ for his follow-up jab as well but now, he's not so sure.
That's because on Thursday, the National Advisory Committee on Immunizationns (NACI) once again changed its guidance on vaccinations, now recommending that anyone who received AstraZeneca for their first dose should get an mRNA (Pfizer, Moderna) as their second.
That introduced a whole new set of variables into the decision-making process for people like Forsyth coming up on their second shot.
"It's really frustrating to know if you're making the right decision or not," he said. "The numbers of the prevalence of blood clots (a side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine) kept changing and then also there was suddenly (unexpected) availability of (more) Pfizer (vaccines)."
"There is definitely a lot of uncertainty and weighing all the pros and cons is a tough process."
AstraZeneca
"NACI’s earlier recommendation that people who wanted earlier vaccinations could receive a viral vector vaccine (AZ) rather than wait on mRNA vaccine reflected the limited supply of mRNA vaccines at the time, and the imperative of protecting vulnerable populations from serious illness and death," said Canada's Chief Medical Health officer Dr. Teresa Tam.
Health officials maintain that AstraZeneca still provides protection against COVID-19, just not as much as mRNA ones do, especially when it comes to the powerful Delta variant.
NOT RECOGNIZED IN U.S.
Even though there are few health implications with relying on AstraZeneca, there appear to be some social ones
For example, you can't see Bruce Springsteen perform his live show on Broadway unless you have two doses of a Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine.
Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are all approved, but AstraZeneca is not.
Bruce Springsteen on Broadway
Rock band the Foo Fighters also just performed their first live concert since the pandemic began, open only to fans meeting the same FDA-approved requirement.
POTENTIAL BACKFIRE FOR U.S. TOURISM
Kerry Bowman, a bioethicist at the University of Toronto said the policy could backfire on the United States tourism industry.
"Is there good reason why people with AstraZeneca should not be allowed within those venues? There is not in relation to science," he said. "I don't think they'll lose any sleep over Canadians but when things really open up and Europeans come, particularity the Brits, the amount (of people) it could exclude is huge."
Many Canadians already have received both their AstraZeneca doses and are considered fully vaccinated here and Ontario's solicitor general wants to make sure that counts in the United States as well.
"We will make sure that individuals in Ontario and Canada who received a Health Canada NACI approved vaccine will have the same right as individuals who received other vaccines," says Sylvia Jones.
Meanwhile, Andrew Forsyth says he just wished there would be more consistency in recommendations for which booster shot he should get.
Andrew Forsyth received AstraZeneca for his first dose, but know is wondering what to do for his second
"It's "definitely been something to personally navigate and it's been challenging," he says "I feel like a guinea pig, like I'm part of the trials."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.