He pointed out that when AstraZeneca was first put into use, several provinces were in the third wave of COVID-19.

He said in an email: “The risk is clear. Dozens of Canadians die every week and many more are hospitalized, including those who are seriously ill and require intensive care and mechanical ventilation.”

In this case, it makes sense to follow the public health recommendations to take the first vaccine. “

Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton in Hamilton, agrees. He said that Ontario saw a spike in cases four weeks ago, and the future path of the pandemic is uncertain.

He said: “It’s easy for people to forget how bad things are, and healthcare is on the verge of collapse.”

“If we didn’t deal with the worst at that time, it would be foolish not to get vaccinated at least to protect ourselves from what is about to happen.”

Watch | Assurance to those receiving AstraZeneca vaccine:

Dr. Dirk Huyer, Coordinator of Outbreak Response in Ontario, told CBC News that it was “very right” to get the AstraZeneca vaccine during that period.

“It not only provides personal protection, it also provides broader protection to help reduce the burden of disease in Ontario.”

According to Chagla, “People should be happy that they were shot.”

Evolving risk data

Although some provinces have announced that they will stop the administration of AstraZeneca due to supply problems, the risk of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) induced by the vaccines cited by Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia is small, but there are Potentially dangerous, blood clotting can cause fatal bleeding.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said 18 VITT cases have been confirmed after AstraZeneca vaccination, including 3 deaths in Quebec, Alberta and New Brunswick, and 10 possible cases are under investigation.

Initially, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization estimated the risk of VITT to be 1 in 250,000. It was recently revised to one hundred thousandths.

Ontario Science Table It is now estimated to be one of 55,000, but this number is a constantly changing target, and new data from countries around the world are released every day.

In the UK, most people have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, and out of the 28.5 million doses given, 242 cases have reported VITT. 49 people have died.

Dr. Alyson Kelvin, a virologist at Dalhousie University, said that the AstraZeneca vaccine is needed to help Canada achieve community immunization, which seems to be a good choice.

She said that while people receiving AstraZeneca treatment are well protected, new evidence suggests that there are safer options.

Naylor said that as the immunization work in Canada is getting faster and faster, and the large number of available mRNA vaccines has so far without any major side effects, it is reasonable to switch to Pfizer and Moderna products for vaccine activities in certain provinces.

Some people worry that they have been “deceived”

Dr. James Douketis is the president of the Canadian Thrombosis Association, who specializes in blood and blood clots. He said that he has been answering people’s questions, asking them if they were “cheated” to obtain Aspen. Likang vaccine.

“I said to them,’No, you are not. At that time, you were doing the right thing for yourself, your family and your community. There was no problem at all.”

But a few months later, with more mRNA vaccines, more people vaccinated, and hospitalization rates have stabilized, the situation is different, Duktis said.

“Why do people take risks when we have some choices or we have some flexibility?”

Nellore said that for those who shot AstraZeneca more than a month ago, the VITT risk window has been closed.

Naylor emphasized that for people who have been shot recently, this serious side effect of coagulation is rare, and current estimates are that 99.998% of people who receive an Astra Zeneca stabbing will not affected.

He said that despite this, people should still be aware of any potential side effects. These include:

• Constant and severe headache.
• It is difficult for your body to move.
• Seizures.
• Vision problems, including blurred vision or compound eyes.
• Shortness of breath.
• Severe chest, back, or abdominal pain.
• Swelling or color change in arms or legs.

What about the second shot?

On Wednesday, the federal government confirmed that Canada will receive another 655,000 doses of AstraZeneca by next week. Nello said that for Canadians who are eager to receive a second dose of AstraZeneca, early British data show that the risk of VITT after the booster injection is an order of magnitude lower than the first dose.

He said: “This is very reassuring, but we should wait for a definite record.”

At the same time, researchers are studying mixed and matched immunizations performed by Pfizer and AstraZeneca in different orders and at different intervals.

Naylor said that if these strategies are safe and effective, then subsequent mRNA vaccine selection will play a role.

Early results of a UKstudy Studies have shown that mixing two different doses of different types of COVID-19 vaccines can increase a person’s chances of mild or moderate reactions (such as fatigue, headache or fever).

Narol said: “One way or another, it is expected that everyone who has been vaccinated with AstraZeneca can use the booster vaccine.”