Canada suspends AstraZeneca vaccine for those under 55 years of age

Canada on Monday suspended the use of the OxfordAstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for people under age 55 following concerns it might be linked to rare blood clotsThe National Advisory Committee on Immunization had recommended the pause for safety reasons and the Canadian provinces which administer health in the country announced the suspension MondayldquoThere is substantial uncertainty about the benefit of providing AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccines to adults under 55 given the potential risksrdquo said Dr Shelley Deeks vice chair of the National Advisory Committee on ImmunizationDeeks said the updated recommendations come amid new data from Europe that suggests the risk of blood clots is now potentially as high as one in 100000 much higher than the one in one million risk believed beforeShe said most of the patients in Europe who developed a rare blood clot after vaccination with AstraZeneca were women under age 55 and the fatality rate among those who develop clots is as high as 40 per centDr Joss Reimer of Manitobas Vaccine Implementation Task Force said despite the finding that there was no increase risk of blood clots overall related to AstraZeneca in Europe a rare but very serious side effect has been seen primarily in young women in EuropeReimer said the rare type of blood clot typically happens between four and 20 days after getting the shot and the symptoms can mirror a stroke or a heart attackldquoWhile we still believe the benefits for all ages outweigh the risks Im not comfortable with probably I want to see more data coming out of Europe so I know exactly what this risk benefit analysis isrdquo Reimer saidThe AstraZeneca shot which has been authorized in more than 70 countries is a pillar of a UNbacked project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID19 vaccines to poorer countries It has also become a key tool in European countries efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts That makes doubts about the shots especially worryingldquoThis vaccine has had all the ups and downs It looks like a roller coasterrdquo said Dr Caroline QuachThanh the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization when asked if the latest news will lead to further vaccine hesitancyHealth Canada said it has not received any reports of blood clots in Canada and the departments chief medical adviser Dr Supriya Sharma said she still believes the vaccines benefits outweigh the risksLast week the department changed its label on the vaccine to warn about the rare risk of blood clotsOnly those 60 and above have received AstraZeneca in Ontario Canadas most populous provinceldquoWe have no concerns with those who have received it so farrdquo said Dr David Williams Ontarios chief medical officerMark Mendelson a 63yearold Toronto man who has had heart surgery said that he has no regrets about getting his first AstraZeneca dose two weeks ago and that he will get the secondldquoGet what you canrdquo Mendelson said ldquoI had no ill effects at all from the AstraZeneca I am in a better position than those who dont have any vaccine at all If you are betting person you would take those odds any day of the week Im quite prepared to roll the dicerdquoSeveral European countries that had suspended using the vaccine over concerns it could cause blood clots have resumed administering it after the EUs drug regulator said the vaccine was safeThe vaccine is used widely in Britain across the European continent and in other countries but its rollout was troubled by inconsistent study reports about its effectiveness and then more recently the scare about clots that had some countries temporarily pausing inoculationsCanada is expected to receive 15 million doses of AstraZeneca from the US on WednesdayldquoThe messaging has been brutal overall I am fearful it is toast It shouldnt be said Dr Andrew Morris a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at SinaiUniversity Health NetworkMorris thinks those who are at a high risk for a bad COVID19 outcome and over the age of 55 should get AstraZeneca if the other vaccines are not available to them especially during a third wave of coronavirus infectionsCanadian regulators approved the Pfizer Moderna AstraZeneca and Johnson amp Johnson vaccines Canada has placed bigger bets on Pfizer and Moderna ordering up to 76 million doses of Pfizer and up to 44 million of Moderna compared with up to 20 million of AstraZeneca Its not known when Canada will receive its first shipment of Johnson amp JohnsonCanada received its first shipment of AstraZeneca this month 500000 doses from India Of the 194500 doses that Ontario received about 10000 remain They expire April 2Canada has lagged on vaccinating its population because it lacks the ability to manufacture the vaccine and has had to rely on the global supply chain for the lifesaving shots like many other countriesWith no domestic supply Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government bet on seven different vaccines manufactured elsewhere and secured advance purchase agreements enough to get 10 doses for each of Canadas 38 million people While acquiring them has proven difficult deliveries have ramped up this month Canada expects to have more than 365 million doses by July and officials hope to get at least one dose into all adults who want one by the end of JuneThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever