Health
Doctors Nova Scotia, pharmacy association prepare for AstraZeneca vaccine rollout – Global News
Nova Scotia has been using both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to vaccinate people against COVID-19 for the past few months, but as Health Canada approves more vaccines, the province will have more options, and that’s already happening.
On Feb. 26, Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca vaccine. Like Moderna and Pfizer, it’s a two-dose vaccine, but it’s different because it’s a viral vector vaccine that uses a harmless virus to trigger an immune response and help the body create antibodies.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia to receive AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses next week
Based on clinical trials, it is 62 per cent effective against COVID-19, compared to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which are both mRNA vaccines and are more than 90 per cent effective.
“We feel that difference is enough people should be able to make their own choice,” said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang on Friday.
The province says that they are preparing information for Nova Scotians so that they will be able to make an informed decision before choosing between getting AstraZeneca now, or waiting for an mRNA vaccine.
That information is expected to be released this week, just as the province is already slated to receive 13,000 doses of AstraZeneca.
All of the initial doses must all be used by April 2.
So far, the province’s rollout has largely been age based — focusing first on those 80 and older with the plan to move down in increments of 5 years. But the AstraZeneca vaccine is only recommended for those under the age of 65, due to the age group tested during the clinical trials, and so the province will have to pivot its distribution plan.
AstraZeneca is easier to store and transport than the other COVID-19 vaccines, as it is only required to be kept between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, which is similar to a flu vaccine. Due to this, the province has been able to turn to Doctors Nova Scotia and the pharmacy association to administer the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines to Nova Scotians between the ages of 50 and 64.
“We’re really excited to be part of this part of the pandemic vaccine program,” said Robyn MacQuarrie, president of Doctors Nova Scotia.
“It’s going quickly. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt (this year), it’s just that we need to be nimble.”
The initial shipment of 13,000 doses will all be used for first doses and the province will open up an online booking portal. Appointments will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. The pharmacy association is stressing people should not be calling pharmacies to book an appointment, but rather use the provincial portal.
The doses will be divided among the two groups, and in total there will be 26 locations across the province, each offering about 300 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Both organizations are currently working with the province to chose the locations.
“Just trying to make sure there’s good representation around the province,” said Allison Bodnar, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia.
The two groups say there has been wide interest among doctors and pharmacies to take part, with Bodnar saying that every pharmacy in the province is willing and ready to take part in the vaccination program.
“We do a lot of immunizations, obviously we do a lot of flu shots in a short amount of time,” said Bodnar.
“We know how to move people through the environment in a safe and effective way.”
While the timeline will be tight, with less than a month to prepare and just two weeks to administer the vaccines, Bodnar says that’s not a concern.
“We can get a lot of people vaccinated in a short amount of time,” said Bodnar.
“We’ll do our allotted volume in just over a week.”
Doctors across the province say they’re also well equipped to handle this rollout.
“We saw a lot of community docs be innovative in ways to distribute flu) vaccines with the restrictions of social distance,” said MacQuarrie.
“It’s good that we’ve had that experience already in administering a vaccine in social distancing settings.”
Given recent recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which says that the time between doses can be extended from three to 16 weeks, the province is moving away from its approach of holding onto the second dose, and focusing on getting first doses to more people sooner.
However, Strang has said that right now there is no evidence that allows the mixing of vaccines, so whatever vaccine Nova Scotians receive for the first dose will be what they receive for their second dose.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed a case of measles in Edmonton, and is advising the public that the individual was out in public while infectious.
Measles is an extremely contagious disease that is spread easily through the air, and can only be prevented through immunization.
AHS says individuals who were in the following locations during the specified dates and times, may have been exposed to measles.
- April 16
- Edmonton International Airport, international arrivals and baggage claim area — between 3:20 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- April 20
- Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department — between 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- April 22
- 66th Medical Clinic (13635 66 St NW Edmonton) — between 12:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Pharmacy 66 (13637 66 St NW Edmonton) — between 12:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- April 23
- Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department — between 4:40 a.m. to 9:33 a.m.
AHS says anyone who attended those locations during those times is at risk of developing measles if they’ve not had two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine.
Those who have not had two doses, who are pregnant, under one year of age, or have a weakened immune system are at greatest risk of getting measles and should contact Health Link at 1-877-720-0707.
Symptoms
Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3° C or higher, cough, runny nose, and/or red eyes, a red blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down the body and then to the arms and legs.
If you have any of these symptoms stay home and call Health Link.
In Alberta, measles vaccine is offered, free of charge, through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program. Children in Alberta typically receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age, and their second dose at 18 months of age.
Health
U.S. tightens rules for dairy cows a day after bird flu virus fragments found in pasteurized milk samples – Toronto Star
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Infected cows were already prohibited from being transported out of state, but that was based on the physical characteristics of the milk, which looks curdled when a cow is infected, or a cow has decreased lactation or low appetite, both symptoms of infection.
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