OTTAWA -- Canada鈥檚 chief public health officer says the various health entities guiding the science on vaccine use in Canada are working collaboratively, despite differences in the recommended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday that Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) work in 鈥渓ockstep,鈥 after NACI announced on Monday it was advising a pause in the use of the drug for those under the age of 55 due to the rare possibility of blood clots.
Health Canada subsequently stated that it is continuously monitoring the situation and will be working with international manufacturers to require a 鈥渄etailed assessment of the benefits and risks of the vaccine by age and sex in the Canadian context.鈥
On March 24, AstraZeneca鈥檚 product label to provide detail on reports of blood clots associated with low levels of blood platelets following immunization.
However, their on the use of AstraZeneca remains the same 鈥 that for those over the age of 18, the benefits outweigh the risks and that the drug itself has 鈥渘ot been associated in the overall risk of thrombosis.鈥
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.
Tam said NACI looked at the information coming in from overseas and took a 鈥減recautionary approach,鈥 adding that Monday鈥檚 update had to be done quickly.
All provinces and territories have since adjusted their guidance following the announcement.
Asked whether this change in recommendation adds to vaccine hesitancy, Tam said it鈥檚 important to understand the science on COVID-19 vaccines is rapidly changing which means the guidelines do too, but Canada鈥檚 review process remains 鈥渧igorous.鈥
鈥淭he advice on any medication or vaccine can evolve over time and I think Canadians should be reassured that we have systems in place to detect safety signals and then analyze them,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 actually been a quite remarkable feat of international collaboration and science to try and sort out the initial reports.鈥
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said he acknowledges the changes could lead to heightened confusion.
鈥淐ertainly we understand that for the average Canadian there are obviously I think a lot of questions and concerns,鈥 he said Tuesday. 鈥淎t the end of the day, what鈥檚 really important is key is it鈥檚 good communication and being transparent and open and that鈥檚 what I think is important moving forward.鈥
The NACI has previously recommended suspending the use of AstraZeneca in those over the age of 65 years, citing efficacy concerns, but then reversed their position weeks later, with access to new information.
In an interview on 麻豆影视 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Tuesday, NACI chair Dr. Caroline Quach said she hopes Canada will receive the necessary data from the supplier within 鈥渢wo to three weeks鈥 to make a firm recommendation about the vaccine鈥檚 use in those under the age of 55.
鈥淎t which point in time we鈥檒l have to position ourselves again to see if this pause is long-term or a temporary pause,鈥 she said, reinforcing that transparency is the best policy in the vaccine journey.
鈥淎re you going to tell us that being too transparent leads to hesitancy? I sure hope not. But you know when we see something we tell people exactly what we see and why we take that decision. I understand that it may not make everyone happy,鈥 she said.
