Trudeau says he will get 2nd AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shot, encourages Canadians to do same

 

--

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday during question period that he had spoken with his doctor last week, who recommended he get his second AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine dose when it is available.

He also encouraged those who had also received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to also get their second but also said people should talk to their doctors to make the best choice for them, stressing people should take advice from health experts and their health-care providers, not politicians.

Trudeau's comments came as some provinces announced they would be pausing the use of AstraZeneca for first doses, some due to supply and others due to an extremely rare blood clotting disorder.

Trudeau also addressed questions over the possibility of mixing doses, as studies are underway about the potential of using one vaccine for the first dose and a different vaccine for the second shot, such as AstraZeneca and then Pfizer-BioNTech, saying there were no recommendations at this time but scientists are "leaning into it carefully" about whether it is a good option.