Canada will apply a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna to those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca

Toronto. – For people who got Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 They will be given their first dose Pfizer-Biwantech or that modern For the second time, Canada’s National Immunization Advisory Committee (or NACI) said on Tuesday.

This indicator affects more than two million Canadians who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine before Canadian provinces stopped giving it for their first doses last month. The vaccine may be associated with a rare but serious, coagulation syndromeمتلازمة. In Canada, 41 confirmed or suspected cases of vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia were diagnosed, and five people died.

Several European countries administer Pfizer or Moderna second-dose vaccines to patients who have received AstraZeneca, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

The published NACI report notes that those vaccinated with the AstraZeneca combination can be given the same vaccine if they want, or they can receive Pfizer or Moderna. They noted that they base their advice on the risks of developing thrombocytopenia and new evidence that mixing and matching different types of vaccines is not only safe, but may produce a better immune response.

Guidance is not mandatory, but most regional governments have indicated that they are waiting for information before setting their policies for the second dose.

The report, meanwhile, warns that the combination can lead to “an increased potential for short-term side effects (…), including headache, fatigue and a general feeling of discomfort.”

It is up to Canadian provinces to decide whether or not to implement this recommendation.

Several announced in May their decision to stop giving AstraZeneca to people receiving their first dose of the vaccine as a precaution, due to the increased number of associated clots.

But it is still used for people who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca and want to receive a second dose of the same product.

afcl / rcr