Did you mix your COVID-19 vaccines? If so, you’re still protected, experts say
Some residents in Atlantic Canada have received two different COVID-19 vaccines for their first and second dose after the National Advisory Committee of Immunization (NACI) approved that mixing brands of vaccine is safe.
On Monday however, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan advised against people mixing COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers.
“We received a lot of queries from people who say they’ve taken one and they’re planning to take another one. So, it’s a little bit of a dangerous trend here,” said Swaminathan.
Canadians have been mixing COVID-19 vaccines for weeks now after direction was received from NACI, who has already approved mixing brands of vaccines, including Moderna and Pfizer to be safe.
"I personally have had a mixed vaccine schedule. I received Pfizer in the first instance and Moderna in the second instance. I will just say that we have done so based on the science and will continue to follow the science,” said Anita Anand, Canada's public service and procurement minister.
Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Lisa Barrett said even though there is currently limited data on whether the level of protection is the same when mixing doses, it is still safe to do so.
“Some of the data suggests that it's even better to have two different vaccines, so should people feel like they are not protected because they got two different brands of the vaccine? Absolutely not,” said Barrett.
But as data on vaccines has been developing quickly over the course of the pandemic, Barrett says it's normal for people to have questions after hearing about changes.
"There are certainly a lot of people that are vaccine-questioning and that's normal in the context of a brand new vaccine and we're just learning about it as we go, so it's great to ask lots of questions," Barrett said.
With 52 per cent of the eligible population in New Brunswick fully vaccinated, the province is still encouraging people to get vaccinated.
The message is to get two doses, regardless of the manufacturer.
“We’ve given AstraZeneca and the second dose Pfizer, so all of those combinations are approved by Health Canada and they do work. So, we’re asking New Brunswickers to get their vaccine no matter what,” said Dennis Abud, a pharmacist and owner of Jean Coutu in Dieppe, N.B.
On Tuesday, Abud's pharmacy had dozens of appointments booked for vaccines. The only supply they had for the day was Pfizer.
"We are going forward with continuing on the same regimen where the first vaccine that's available is the first vaccine you should get," said Abud.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.