Manitoba to limit 1st dose appointments of AstraZeneca

The province is pausing administration of first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for most Manitobans in light of supply issues and recent news about the vaccine.

First doses of the vaccine can still be administered at doctors' offices and pharmacies, but only in cases where individuals might not otherwise be immunized with other vaccines at alternative sites, the province said in a news release.

Manitobans 40 and up are eligible for AstraZeneca, as are those 30 and up with select priority health conditions.

For the most part, futureAstraZenecashots will be earmarked for Manitobans who have already received a first dose of that vaccine. Those people can expect to start booking second dose appointmentsin June.

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of thetask force, said she understands why the public might have questions about the latest update, given how many incremental changes there have been in guidance onAstraZeneca.

"With all this information, I want to make one thing very clear: over the last two monthswhen we have been giving AstraZeneca, it has protected many tens of thousands of Manitobans who would not have otherwise had that protection," Reimer said during a Wednesday news conference, lauding those who got the shot as soon as they became eligible.

"You did the right thing. You provided yourself and your families with protection as early as you possibly could, so we thank you."

The decision won't impact Manitoba's immunization timelines, the release said. As of Wednesday, the province projects everyone 12 and up will have their first dose shots done by June 6-9.

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Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of Manitoba's vaccine task force, on Wednesday commended those who got their first shot of AstraZeneca. She said the vaccine remains safe and effective, and its benefits outweigh any rare risks associated with the vaccine.

The news comes on the same day Manitoba expanded vaccine eligibility to all adults.

Several provinces hit pause

Three provinces this week decided to suspend their AstraZeneca campaigns or reserve future doses for those who received that shot as a first dose.

Alberta and Saskatchewancited supply chain issues in deciding to pause AstraZeneca.Meanwhile, Ontario suggested it's beginning to see an uptick in rare but serious blood clots associated with that vaccine known asvaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).

Out of about 2.3 million doses of AstraZeneca administed in Canada, there's been about a dozen confirmed cases of VITTasof early this week, the Public Health Agency of Canada says.

Reimer said globally, the odds of VITTpost-AstraZeneca are estimated to be somewhere in the range of 1 in 100,000, and the condition is treatable.

Manitoba health officials, including Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin earlier this week, continue to say the vaccine is a safe option and the protection it confers against COVID-19outweighs any risk of blood clots.

Mix and match vaccines

Reimer also said Wednesday Manitoba could begin mixing and matching vaccine varieties if clinical data from trials elsewhere supportthe move. Data from one trial is expected this month and may inform Manitoba's campaign, she said.

Canadian health officials are reviewing data on this now, but some scientists say there's reason to believe mixing and matching could boost a person's immune response beyond what's possible with receiving the same shot twice.

Currently AstraZeneca makes up a small portion of vaccines received bythe province, with 84,260 doses shipped to the province to date.

About 75,000 of those have gone into Manitobans' arms, and over 7,000 doses remain unused, said Johanu Botha, co-lead of Manitoba's vaccine roll out.

Manitoba is expecting another shipment, possibly next week, totalling over 23,000 doses, he said.

Under current supply forecasts from the federal government, Manitoba will notget enough to ensure everyone who received a first dose of AstraZenecawill get it again as a second dose, he said.

It's been given out in doctors' offices and pharmacies, something that wasn't initially possible with other vaccines because of extreme cold storage and transportationrequirements.

Manitoba is, however, running a new pilot that will have some doctors and pharmacists provide Moderna vaccines.

To make an appointment at a supersite or pop-up clinic, where Pfizer and Moderna are administered, use the province'sonline booking portal, or call1-844-626-8222.

Reimerrepeated that the evidence is clear: Manitobans who gotAstraZeneca for their first dose did the right thing.

"We stand by the same statement that we've madepreviously," Reimer said.

"There is no change in [Manitoba's] clinical guidance: we remain confident that AstraZeneca is a safe and effective vaccine.

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