CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The AstraZeneca vaccine will not be given to anyone in P.E.I. under the age of 55 for at least the time being.
Dr. Heather Morrison, the province’s chief public health officer, said the decision follows a recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization on Monday that province’s put a pause on administering the vaccine for people in that age group.
“I understand this news would be a bit disturbing to hear, but I want to reiterate the risk of developing a serious problem after being immunized is very, very low,’’ King said.
“This recommendation follows European reports of rare but serious cases of blood clots associated with low levels of platelets following immunization with AstraZeneca,’’ Morrison said during an unscheduled COVID-19 briefing late Monday afternoon.
Morrison received word late Sunday night of the forthcoming recommendation. She informed all six pharmacies in P.E.I. that were administering the vaccine to stop.
Premier Dennis King also attended the briefing, trying to offer reassurance to the 1,680 Islanders who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine to date.
“I understand this news would be a bit disturbing to hear, but I want to reiterate the risk of developing a serious problem after being immunized is very, very low,’’ King said.
Morrison concurred, saying there have been no reported cases of serious side effects in P.E.I. or Canada.
VIPID is the term given to the serious side effects that some people in Europe have reported. That’s short for vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia, which Morrison says can occur in one out of every 125,000 to one out of every one million vaccinations.
“It’s important to note that no such blood clot abnormalities or VIPID have been reported in Canada,’’ she said.
The hold on administering the vaccine is designed to give the manufacturer time to conduct a detailed assessment of the benefits versus the risk of administering the vaccine by age and gender.
Morrison said millions of people around the world have received the AstraZeneca vaccine without any reported issues, including more than 300,000 doses in Canada.
Islanders who have already received one dose of AstraZeneca may end up getting their second dose from Pfizer or Moderna, depending on what is learned in the weeks ahead about AstraZeneca.
Morrison says they have some time, considering the national recommendation allows 12 weeks between the first and second dose.
In cases where serious side effects have been reported in Europe, the onset of symptoms tends to occur between four and 20 days of getting the vaccine and is associated with low platelets, which are the tiny blood cells that help form blood clots to stop bleeding.
Morrison said there have been no reported cases of VIPID in those older than 55 years.
Morrison said she hopes this doesn’t dissuade people from getting a vaccine.
“I really hope not. There are so many doses of this vaccine being administered. What is being referred to is a very rare event but (a) serious event, and that’s why we need to take precautionary measures.’’
Morrison said people should also feel assured that public health officials are taking every development extremely seriously.
King said while this pause will slow down the vaccine rollout, it will not hamper efforts to give all Islanders their first dose by the end of June or both doses by the fall.
Need to know
Following are symptoms to watch for in regard to serious side efforts from a vaccine:
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Leg swelling
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Sudden onset of severe headache or blurred vision
• Skin bruising other than at the site of the vaccination
• Let health care officials know when you received the vaccine
If you observe any of these symptoms seek immediate medical attention
