Canadian health officials are suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s (NASDAQ:AZN) COVID-19 vaccine in people younger than age 55 over concerns it could lead to deadly blood clots.
AstraZeneca shots have been halted in most of the country, including Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, after the nation’s vaccine advisory committee recommended that public health authorities stop giving it to people under 55 years old.
It’s another setback for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vaccine effort, which is off to the second-slowest start among Group of Seven nations. And it comes as a new wave of the virus is accelerating across the country.
Canada reported an average of 4,352 new cases a day over the seven days ended March 28, up 23% from the previous week. Just 1.8% of Canadian residents are now fully vaccinated, compared with 15.8% in the U.S., according to Bloomberg’s Vaccine Tracker.
Most of the vaccines distributed in Canada so far have been the Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) or Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) shots, which were approved by health authorities’ months before the AstraZeneca one.
British Columbia, which has kept restaurants open for most of the pandemic, said Monday it would close indoor dining, worship services and most indoor fitness activities as of midnight local time. Vail Resorts’ (NYSE:MTN) Whistler Blackcomb ski resort will also be shutdown.
Canada is due to receive 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the U.S. this week. The federal government is responsible for procuring and approving vaccines, while provinces are in charge of administering the shots and setting the rules for vaccine rollout.
Last week, Denmark extended its suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine for another three weeks and Sweden has decided to use it only on people older than 65.
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