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Saskatchewan is considering offering an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for patients who received AstraZeneca.
Health Minister Paul Merriman suggested the province could open up a section of its vaccine stockpile to allow people to travel more freely.
Some countries do not recognize AstraZeneca or a mix with another vaccine to be fully vaccinated.
Quebec announced Monday it would offer a dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine for those patients, and Saskatchewan could follow suit.
“We’re looking at that right now,” Merriman said. “We’re in discussions with Dr. Shahab on this to see what his thoughts are on it.
“It’s not imminent this needs to be done immediately.”
Throughout the spring and early summer, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said mixing-and-matching vaccines was not only acceptable but recommended with AstraZeneca and either Pfizer or Moderna, as supplies dwindled.
Now, with thousands of vaccines arriving in the province going unused as new vaccinations plateaued, the Ministry of Health is weighing what to do.
“We need to keep some other on hand. If we decide to go down this path, there could potentially be another 40,000 to 50,000 people that received AstraZeneca that might want to get a shot of Moderna or Pfizer,” Merriman said.
Saskatchewan has received 1,820,415 vaccine doses and has used 1,388,330, according to the federal vaccine tracker.
Officials have said a combination of vaccines is safe and offers a high level of protection from the virus.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was linked to extremely rare cases of blood clots in some recipients, which contributed to hesitancy and a slow uptake. The province eventually ceased offering it as a first dose.
Merriman could not say when the province will make a decision.
Another issue complicating the mass stockpiles is a looming decision from Ottawa on vaccine eligibility for people aged five to 12.
“We have to have enough for that,” he said. “We’re working with the federal government to see what we need in the future.
“We want to make sure that we have enough on hand, and if (we need) to move those to other provinces, we’re prepared to do that with the assistance of the federal government.”
