Residents of Canada were given an expired vaccine

Residents of Canada were given an expired vaccine

No one knows what the consequences might be.

AstraZeneca's truly long-suffering vaccine has been in the news more than once: First it was rejected by countries in Europe because of suspicion that the drug causes thrombosis, then the Canadian Immunization Committee did not recommend its use for people over 65, but soon changed its mind and recommended that those under 55 not be vaccinated with the drug. And here again AstraZeneca has hit the headlines, but no longer through no fault of its own.

Vicent Casas, 65, of New Westminster, British Columbia, was one of those "lucky enough" to be vaccinated in early April. His job does not allow him to work remotely, so he was really happy that he would no longer be at risk of COVID-19 infection. The vaccination was given at a pharmacy in Burnaby, British Columbia.

"He really wanted to get vaccinated so there would be some protection because we lost family and friends to COVID," Vicente's wife Marie Casas explained.

But his joy was short-lived, because the very next day the man received a call from the pharmacy where he had been vaccinated, informing him that the medicine had expired. The vaccine was from an AstraZeneca batch that had arrived in Canada in early March and had expired on April 2, three days before Vincent was vaccinated.

A representative of Save-On-Foods, the pharmacy where the incident occurred, confirmed that 10 people were supplied with expired vaccines on April 5. After discovering the error, staff began contacting those vaccinated and forwarded reports to regulatory agencies. The company also apologised to all those affected and assured that it would not happen again.

Health Canada states that when an expired vaccine is administered, a booster vaccination should be recommended. Health Canada's documentation of AstraZeneca states that it should be used before it expires, but does not describe the potential risks or side effects of vaccination with the expired vaccine.

Vicente Casas was told that he would get another vaccination 28 days after the expired one. He would then have to be vaccinated again after four months. Marie Casas is concerned about the change in the vaccination schedule — her husband will receive three doses instead of two. The fact that AstraZeneca is not recommended for people under the age of 55 has added fuel to the fire.

"Would you feel safe with three vaccinations? — Marie wondered. — Especially when there are negative reports about the vaccine."

So far, Vincent hadn't noticed any side effects.

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