key to the ontario pharmacists association’s request to continue first doses on a limited basis is the fact that 30,000 doses of the vaccine expire at the end of this month.
justin bates, chief executive officer of the ontario pharmacists association, said offering those vaccines as first doses with informed consent is the best option to make sure they don’t expire.
shipping them to another country for use is probably impractical in time for them to be used by may 31, he said. and, although many people have said they would like to have a second dose immediately, bates said the vaccine would be significantly less effective if given now. if doses are given at 12 weeks apart, they are about 85 per cent effective. but if given sooner, they are less effective at preventing serious covid-19 illness, at about 68 or 69 per cent.
the province is also expecting a new shipment of around 260,000 doses.
bates said the bulk of people who have received one dose of astrazeneca should get a second dose in mid-june or july – which would be about 12-16 weeks after the first dose — for maximum efficacy.
he said he expects more information from the province on astrazeneca later this week.
pharmacists have been hearing from people who received one dose of astrazeneca, many of whom are frustrated at the pause and say they want to get a second dose as soon as possible. others, he said, are suffering from “buyer’s remorse” and have questions about whether they made the right decision.