OTTAWA —
The federal government has announced that Pfizer-BioNTech will move up a shipment of its vaccines slated for delivery in late summer to June, bringing the total vaccine count from the manufacturer to more than nine million doses for that month alone.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday the new total – up from an original target of more than four million – is in addition to the scheduled batches from Moderna and AstraZeneca as well.
On Monday, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization changed its recommendation on the administration of AstraZeneca, advising a pause in use for those under the age of 55 due to the rare possibility of blood clots.
All provinces and territories have adjusted their guidance following the announcement.
Canada has already administered around 300,000 doses of the drug, with no reports of adverse side effects. Cases of blood clots in Europe have been reported mainly in younger women.
The federal government is expecting 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses to arrive Tuesday on loan from the U.S. – the first from the country. Canada has already received 500,000 from the Serum Institute of India.
Health Canada stated on Monday that it is evaluating the risk of the drug and will be working with international manufacturers to require a “detailed assessment of the benefits and risks of the vaccine by age and sex in the Canadian context.”
