B.C. residents eligible for booster shot in dark about vaccine brand
CTV
Those who received AstraZeneca as their first shot and an mRNA shot as their second could now be offered a different brand of mRNA vaccine for their booster shot.
When COVID-19 booster shots became available for immunocompromised British Columbians, Lori Lacroix booked her appointment.
“I have multiple sclerosis and the medication I take for it makes me immunocompromised,” said Lacroix, who lives in Victoria.
“I’m what they classify as clinically extremely vulnerable, which is not a good club to be in,” she said.
Lacroix received Astrazeneca for her first dose, Moderna for her second and would like to receive Moderna for the third. But health officials say it's possible she'll be offered the Pfizer vaccine, which means she'd be mixing and matching vaccines from three companies.
“But when I called to book, they said they had no way of telling me what type of vaccine they’ll have and I’ll only know when I arrive at the clinic,” she said.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Brian Conway said not telling recipients what vaccine they will be receiving creates a lack of confidence in the vaccine program. He thinks the province should be able to tell people which vaccine they will be receiving before their appointment, as opposed to finding out the day of.
“I was just astounded when they said they had no way of knowing. There’s got to be a way. I had suggested a designated Moderna clinic,” said Lacroix.
