The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced today the first case of a rare blood clot in an AstraZeneca vaccine recipient after the U.S. announced a moratorium on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, but PHAC does not believe the case will affect Canadians from continuing to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. Federal Chief Medical Officer Wing Sze Tan said she had just received the Pfizer vaccine in the Ottawa area.
The U.S. has reportedly suspended a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Of the 6.8 million people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the U.S., six people developed blood clots, all six of them women, including one death and one person in serious condition.
In a statement, the Public Health Agency of Canada said the patient received the COVISHIELD vaccine, which is also known as the Indian Serum Institute’s version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to citynews. The patient is currently recuperating at home and is recovering.
PHAC believes “reports of blood clots in people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine are very rare, and this case demonstrates that Canada’s vaccine safety surveillance system is effective.”
Concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine have reportedly been ongoing for several weeks since these rare blood clots were first reported in Europe in early March 2021. As the investigation continues, many countries have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Health Canada has been working with international regulators to review the data and evidence.
PHAC added that Canada has taken a number of steps to ensure that the AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD versions of the vaccine are safe and effective. on March 29, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine not be used in people under 55 years of age for now because of concerns about reports of rare blood clots.
The EU drug regulator reported on April 7 that it found a “possible link” between the vaccine and blood clots, but recommended that adults can continue to receive the vaccine because the benefits still outweigh the potential risks. The European Medicines Agency described the clots as a very rare side effect and said most cases occurred in women under 60 years of age within two weeks of vaccination.
The benefits of the AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD vaccines against CCHV outweigh the potential risks based on all the evidence available internationally to date, said a Health Canada statement.
The first report of blood clots in vaccine recipients in Canada was discovered after the suspension of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine in the United States for similar considerations. In the U.S., there have been at least six cases of blood clots in adult women after nearly 7 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, when asked today about the suspension of Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the United States, said Canada is expected to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of April, but will wait for an updated announcement from Health Canada before deciding whether to allow Canadians to receive it, according to MinnPost. Trudeau said that is why Canada ordered the vaccine with seven pharmaceutical companies, which gives Canada a choice, even without the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it will still receive 44 million doses of vaccine by the end of June.
Tam said she believes Health Canada will continue to conduct the Johnson & Johnson investigation as faithfully and dutifully as ever, and liaise with other health agencies around the world for the latest developments. The situation is just like the previous AstraZeneca vaccine, and Health Canada will make a judgment call.
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