Confronting a prickly situation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/04/2021 (1766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Manitoba officials have been rolling up their sleeves for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which could help cut down on worries about a COVID-19 shot marred by bad press.

A month ago, Manitoba’s top doctor got the AstraZeneca shot, as have Health Minister Heather Stefanson and northern Grand Chief Garrison Settee.

All three would have qualified for either Moderna or Pfizer shots administered at super sites, based on age or the fact Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, still performs front-line health tasks.

But opting for the AstraZeneca shot could help reduce people’s hesitancy about getting that shot.

“It is important for leaders to show leadership on this,” said Dr. Kate Mulligan, a University of Toronto public-health professor who specializes in social and behavioural sciences.

Roussin, Stefanson and Settee all insisted that Manitobans should take whichever COVID-19 shot they’re offered, arguing Canada has one of the best regulatory systems to assess risk and safety.

Elsewhere, politicians have been more upfront about getting AstraZeneca, with Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott telling reporters she specifically got that dose to try to ease concerns about it.

“They’re both ways to demonstrate confidence in the vaccine supply we have,” Mulligan said.

“You can either name it directly, that you’re taking this one that’s come under scrutiny. Or you can show that ‘I will take the first one that comes to me,’ which is kind of the same message.”

Like the Moderna and Pfizer shots, the AstraZeneca jab is considered extremely effective at preventing death and severe disease.

Still, Canada and other countries have changed the age eligibility for AstraZeneca shots as a precaution around an extremely rare blood-clot issue that might be related to the vaccine.

That’s led to a lot of questions from the public.

Mulligan said having a transparent process means following the science as it evolves in real time, which should help bolster the public’s trust in vaccinations writ large.

Yet she acknowledged these constant changes to eligibility and news about blood clots have created unease.

“There have been enough media articles that people have very little sense of the relative risk,” said Mulligan, who received an AstraZeneca shot herself last week.

“Your risk of getting a blood clot from COVID is much, much higher than getting a blood clot from AstraZeneca.”

Ryan Chan, owner of the Exchange District Pharmacy, said about 95 per cent of patients who signed up for the AstraZeneca vaccine have asked him about issues with the shot.

“People are questioning it, and it just comes down to proper education,” said Chan, who has printed out research to give patients and help them make their own choice.

“We talk about the pros, the cons and the significance of the information out there — and where that information originated from,” he said.

“We try to present it by being objective, saying this is the research and what the numbers tell us.”

Mulligan said that’s the right approach, and that Manitoba officials should be telling people to ask their family doctor or clinician about any concerns they have.

“People should not feel that they’re being pushed into (a vaccine) that they feel risk about,” she said. “If you’re nervous, talk to your primary care provider.”

That view is shared by Doctors Manitoba, who launched ManitobaVaccine.ca to answer questions from the public.

“These are the people who often do your flu shot, they do a lot of the other immunization work and they have a long-term relationship with you,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan, who is advising the Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, on equity issues in COVID-19, also praised Manitoba’s recent move to expand vaccinations to Indigenous clinics.

The Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre are now offering shots. Mulligan said both will likely help some of the most vulnerable Winnipeggers get vaccinated, because it’s in a space that feels safe and familiar.

Ultimately, tailored projects like that will likely have more of an impact than officials being photographed getting their shots.

“The broad population message is really not an equity approach, and it doesn’t work for us across all our differences,” Mulligan said.

 

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca