Quebec minister apologizes for 'communication error' regarding AstraZeneca 2nd shots
Quebec's health minister apologized on Thursday after the government appeared to change its advice regarding second doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
A message appeared on the province's website Wednesday saying that people who received a first shot of AstraZeneca should get Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for their second doses because the vaccine combination is more effective than two shots of the same vaccine.
Christian Dube told reporters Thursday that the message was a "communication error" stemming from a misinterpretation of advice from the province's immunization committee.
"I apologize to the population," he said.
"'Our position on AstraZeneca is clear: it's an excellent vaccine and those who want to get it for a second dose can do so."
As of Thursday at noon, the language on the site had been changed to say that AstraZeneca recipients "could" get a different vaccine for their second dose, rather than "should."
Dube said the choice of whether to opt for a different second dose remains a personal one, based on weighing the slightly higher efficacy of a mixed vaccine regimen with the potential for more severe side-effects.
The minister said he'd personally chosen to receive two doses of AstraZeneca.
Quebec reported 161 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, as well as one further death attributed to the novel coronavirus.
Hospitalizations dropped by 14 patients in hospital to 178, with four fewer patients requiring intensive care for a total for 41.
The province added 99,580 vaccine doses to its tally and more than seven million shots have been administered since the campaign began.
Dube said the government would be forced to readjust its vaccine campaign for July after learning it will receive about 600,000 fewer Pfizer doses than expected.
He said the vaccine appointments already made will be honoured, but there won't be any more spots available in the first half of the month for people hoping to move up the date for their second doses.
"It's been a year and a half that we've been adjusting, so we'll adjust again," Dube said. He said the province still expects to meet its target of vaccinating all willing eligible Quebecers with two doses by the end of August.
Currently, more than 79 per cent of the population 12 and older have received one dose and 14.8 per cent have received both doses.
Dube was speaking alongside Finance Minister Eric Girard on Thursday, as they announced a $13 million investment into a project to boost local production of the active ingredients in medications.
Dube said the Pfizer vaccine delivery delay is just one of many examples of how COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of the medical supply chain and the risk of being too dependent on external suppliers for vital medication.
The project, led by the Universite de Montreal, aims to increase Quebec's ability to produce key medicine ingredients at home as well as to support research into new drugs, which could eventually be produced in partnership with the manufacturing sector.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.