COVID-19: Canada approves AstraZeneca's vaccine for all adults

Canadian health agencies have authorised AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for all adults. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine to get the green light after Pfizer and Moderna. Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in people who are 18 years or above. The first shipment of vaccines is expected to arrive within weeks. 

AstraZeneca vaccine approved in Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter wrote that 20 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine are secured and they have also reached an agreement with the Serum Institute of India for another 2 million doses. The first shipment of half a million doses is expected to arrive within weeks. He in another tweet wrote they are working to get as many vaccines as possible. He also said that with Pfizer, Moderna, and now AstraZeneca approved, the people will get more than 6.5 million doses before the end of March and tens of millions more will arrive between April and June."

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The health department of Canada has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in people who are 18 or above. This would help the adults in fighting against the novel virus. Some countries including France, have authorised it only for use in people under 65, saying no enough evidence that proves it would work in older adults. Health Canada’s chief medical advisor Dr. Supriya Sharma said that trials show 62% efficacy, which is less than the protection offered by already authorised vaccines. She added that experts have said that vaccine with efficacy rate of over 50% could help the outbreak. She added that no one has died or become severely ill in trials of the vaccines now approved by Canada or in those of Johnson & Johnson and Novavax shots, which could be approved soon.

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Inputs from AP