"The most important thing is to get vaccinated with the first vaccine offered to you," he said in question period. "It is how we get through this."
That is the same advice federal and provincial health officials have been giving Canadians since the first vaccines were approved in December. But it is in direct contrast to advice given Monday by the
NACI said the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and
The 16-member panel of doctors and other vaccine experts said that Canadians who aren't at high risk of COVID-19 may choose to turn down the offer of Oxford-AstraZeneca or
They came to that conclusion after looking at a risk-benefit analysis comparing the likelihood of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT, which is currently believed to be between one in 100,000 and one in 250,000, and the risk of COVID-19 among different age groups and different levels of the virus.
Seven cases of VITT have been confirmed in
NACI said Canadians under 30 shouldn't be offered
NACI's advice did not land well among some politicians or medical professionals this week.
New Brunswick Education Minister
"If a vaccine is approved by Public Health Canada ... take that shot," he said. "Ignore NACI, ignore anti-maskers, ignore the people undermining faith in science and do your part for
"I'm worried," said
Emergency physician Dr.
"It pains me to say this but it's past time to take NACI's recommendations with a grain of salt," he said.
"All our vaccines are good vaccines but the reality is the mRNA vaccines are better vaccines," he said.
Neither Trudeau nor Chief Public Health Officer Dr.
"For months Canadians have been told to get the first vaccine available to them," O'Toole said. "Today, the prime minister refused to confirm that advice on 10 different occasions."
Trudeau, who received
Tam said she understands that people may be frustrated or angry about changing advice but she said recommendations evolve as science changes. She said there are different risk-benefit conclusions based on individual and community situations.
"But again, I'll reiterate from our chief medical officers that the
Some of the debate may not matter much because the shipments of mRNA vaccines vastly outweigh expected shipments of
Comparatively, Procurement Minister
There are no shipments of J&J even tentatively scheduled.
The first 300,000 doses of J&J arrived last week but are on hold because they were partly made at a
By the end of September,
Emberley said he's also worried NACI's advice will make Canadians who already received
There are studies underway about mixing two different vaccines, with the first results expected later this month. Tam said Tuesday NACI will give advice on that before the second doses of
On the current four-month schedule in
This report by
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