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Canadians who have been vaccinated with two different doses of the COVID-19 vaccine may find it difficult to travel to countries where health officials have not approved the combined vaccine.
In June, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization issued guidelines that allow AstraZeneca-Oxford, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna injections to be used interchangeably in some cases.
Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked whether the government has received a guarantee that if Canadians are vaccinated with two different vaccines, they will be allowed to travel, even if other countries have not approved a mixed dose.
He said: “We will work with the international community to ensure that people who are fully vaccinated in a way that Canadians believe are safe and effective are also recognized by the world.”
At a press conference on Thursday, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc (Dominic LeBlanc) was asked to specify what measures the federal government is taking to ensure that other countries recognize mixed doses.
“We work with our allies…share data and work with them to develop the best immunization strategy, so we understand Canadians’ concerns about international travel,” he said.
LeBlanc pointed out that the federal government is working to create an internationally recognized vaccination certificate certificate-or vaccine passport-but did not say how this will apply to Canadians at two different doses, although he said he will provide more details “in the future.” Weeks and months. “
Canadians are already facing confusion
However, when considering traveling to countries that do not recognize mixed doses, some travelers who use this recommended vaccination are beginning to face difficulties.
Laura Sharpe in Surrey, British Columbia has a Pfizer and a Moderna. She has booked a trip to Barbados with her husband at the end of August.
Vaccinated travelers in Barbados must stay at the hotel for up to 24 hours on arrival until they get a negative PCR test result. However, visitors who have not been vaccinated must stay in the hotel room until they receive the test results on the fifth day.
But the Barbados government has only recently considered fully vaccinating people who have been vaccinated with two different vaccines.
Watch | What we know about mixed vaccines:
Barbados initially did not recognize the mixed dose policy, which convinced Sharp that she would have to cancel her trip. She said she even contacted the government’s Ministry of Tourism to try to clarify whether she would be forced to quarantine and was initially told that she would be quarantined.
“I have completed all my homework, but it didn’t help,” she said.
Sharpe said she hopes that the government will be more proactive than passive after issuing mixed dosage recommendations, and is worried that other countries will not recognize mixed dosages.
“This may last for months or even years before this problem is resolved,” she said.
The official recommendation of the Canadian government is still not to travel for non-essential purposes.
Sharp said that she understood the suggestion, but still felt that she could have made an educated decision to go, felt that she was protected by the vaccine and the country she went to was safe.
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