…ACI; www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/recommendations-use-covid-19-vaccines.html#b1). The rationale is that administering one dose to a wider population will have a greater impact on severe COVID outcomes than giving the required two doses to fewer people. This raises the question: what are the benefits and risks of this partial-immunity approach? The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTe…

…ion (www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/rapid-response-recommended-use-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-younger-adults.html). Individuals aged >55 years can still receive the vaccine. NACI previously recommended that the vaccine not be used in individuals aged >65 years due to a lack of evidence. The most recent advisory follows reports of what is being called Vaccine-Induced Prothromb…

…Summary of epidemiology, testing and mortality rate; Canada and world statistics. Download COVID-19 slide deck…

…ws.go.com/GMA/News/video/fauci-discusses-concerns-oxfordastrazeneca-vaccine-data-76626319). One source of confusion may be that the headline claims efficacy in preventing COVID-19, whereas the efficacy results are in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. According to the study description on clinicaltrials.gov, the primary endpoint was the prevention of COVID-19; a COVID-19 case was defined as PCR-positive symptomatic illness occurring >15 days after t…

…safety review has not been completed (www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/emas-safety-committee-continues-investigation-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-thromboembolic-events). Health Canada, which relies on other countries to conduct safety reviews, has also stated that the benefits outweigh the risks. COVID-19 is known to be associated with thromboembolic complications (Castro et al. Cardiol Rev 2021;29:43-44). Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) va…