Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday insisted that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “safe and effective” despite the fact that several European countries have discontinued its use due to the possibility of causing blood clots in some cases.
Trudeau also explained that the problems seem to boil down to ‘a specific batch of vaccine being used in Europe’ and that the doses that Canada uses to inoculate its population are manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, which, although it is biologically similar to the AstraZeneca vaccine is manufactured under different conditions.
“The Department of Health and our experts have spent a lot of time making sure that every vaccine approved in Canada is safe and effective,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Montreal, adding that “the best vaccine for everyone. the first is. is offered. This is how we get through this as quickly and safely as possible. “
Trudeau, 49, also assured that he will wait his turn to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Although Canada was the first country in the world to approve the use of four vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johson), and the country that bought the most doses, more than 400 million, the North American country had problems with the supply. in January and February and the vaccination schedule is more behind than that of the United States or major European countries.
To date, Canada ranks 54th in the world as a percentage of the vaccinated population. 6.56% of the 38 million Canadians have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccines, totaling 3,996,970 people. Of this number, only 598,804 have received the two doses that guarantee immunization.
And several counties in the country are considering injecting the second dose up to four months after the first to provide partial immunity to as many people as possible as soon as possible.
To date, Canada has recorded 911,019 cases of covid-19 and 22,482 deaths, the majority in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
Last week, Trudeau announced that Canada will receive one million doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine per week between March 22 and May 10.
Trudeau said shipments of Pfizer’s vaccine will speed up the vaccination rate.