Ontarians encouraged to see mRNA shots as interchangeable as more 2nd doses open up
Officials and experts emphasized the interchangeability of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on Monday as many more Ontarians became eligible to book accelerated second shots.
The province said its shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for the week had been delayed by a few days, so a large supply of Moderna would be used at many appointments, meaning residents may end up with a different mRNA shot for their second dose.
The government has been encouraging residents to get fully immunized as soon as possible by taking the most readily available second dose.
"If you had Moderna or Pfizer for your first dose you can safely take either for your second. If you had AstraZeneca for your first dose you can safely take AstraZeneca, Moderna or Pfizer for your second," Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter on Monday.
Residents who got a first dose of an mRNA vaccine on or before May 9 were able to book second doses starting at 8 a.m. Monday, while those in Delta variant hot spots who got their initial jabs on or before May 30 can do the same on Wednesday.
Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization has found "no important difference" between Moderna and Pfizer, which both use similar mRNA technology.
Peel Region highlighted that point in a social media statement on Monday.
"Moderna and Pfizer -- their labels may be different, but they use the same technology to protect us," it wrote on Twitter.
Experts encouraged people to get whichever of the two mRNA shots they're offered as their second dose.
"With this week's delayed Pfizer vaccine shipments, I'm concerned about people delaying dose 2 because they are being offered Moderna vaccine," Dr. Jeff Kwong, an epidemiologist with the University of Toronto, said on Twitter. "The last thing we want is any loss of momentum in our flourishing vaccine rollout."
Kwong said analyses of data compiled by the independent research organization ICES show that two doses of Moderna are "just as good" as two of Pfizer in preventing infections.
As a result, he said there's no reason to think one dose of Pfizer and a second of Moderna would be any worse than two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Other experts expressed similar sentiment, noting people regularly get different brands of other vaccines without thinking twice.
"If you got a flu shot this year, you likely don't know the brand. Neither do I. They're made by separate companies," Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease specialist at St. Joseph's hospital in Hamilton, Ont., said in a tweet. "Moderna and Pfizer are interchangeable."
The province noted that youth will continue to received the Pfizer shot since it is currently the only one approved in Canada for those under 18.
Ontario's vaccine rollout is progressing well, with 76 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 24 per cent of adults fully immunized as of Monday.
Cases have been dropping -- the province reported 270 new infections Monday and three more deaths. But there are concerns about the more transmissible Delta variant, which is poised to become dominant, since science shows people with one dose are less protected against it.
Health units covering Toronto, Peel, Halton, Porcupine, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, Waterloo and York, Hamilton, Simcoe-Muskoka and Durham are considered hot spots for the more infectious variant.
- With files from Paola Loriggio
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.