Advertisement

B.C. residents likely to be given choice for second dose following AstraZeneca vaccine

Click to play video: '‘We will give people the choice’: Dr. Bonnie Henry on receiving second vaccine following AstraZeneca shot'
‘We will give people the choice’: Dr. Bonnie Henry on receiving second vaccine following AstraZeneca shot
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry answers a reporter's question about "mix and match" studies using different types of COVID-19 vaccines and if British Columbians will be able to use something other than AstraZeneca for a second dose. Dr. Henry says research indicates there may be an advantage to having different vaccines for the second dose and that British Columbians will be given a choice. She also explains what symptoms people can expect from their second dose. – May 7, 2021

B.C. health officials say residents who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose may be given a choice as to what vaccine they receive for their second.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday there are many studies happening right now around the possibility of mixing COVID-19 vaccines.

“I know some people have concerns about using that term ‘mix and match,'” Henry said at a briefing. “And it is something that is an important consideration because there may be benefits to using two different types of vaccines.

“And one of the things that we are learning is that the AstraZeneca vaccines do seem to have a stronger cell immunity response — those cells that help us have a long-term memory. So it may be an advantage to have one of each of the types of vaccines that we have available now.”

Story continues below advertisement

However, Henry said they don’t know the answer to that yet. There are studies being done in B.C. and a big study in the U.K.

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

They hope to have some data from that research by the end of May.

Henry said officials hope to give people who had the AstraZeneca shot a choice for their second — whether that is AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna.

“And we’ll be watching that really carefully.”

Click to play video: 'Symptoms of B.C. woman who developed rare blood clot following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine'
Symptoms of B.C. woman who developed rare blood clot following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Story continues below advertisement

A B.C. woman in her 40s became the first person in the province to be diagnosed with a rare blood clot disorder following a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Henry said it was the first case of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic, or VITT, that they have seen since beginning the vaccine program. The woman is stable and is receiving treatment in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.

Henry said this is very rare, but VITT is associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. So far, research shows it affects about one in 100,000 doses.

Sponsored content

AdChoices