TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2021) Ottawa is actively working with the United States and other countries to convince them to permit entry for Canadian travelers vaccinated against COVID-19 with a mixed-dose schedule, ," Canada's chief medical officer Theresa Tam said on Friday.
Canada was among the first country to approve the practice - allowing the interchangeable use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines - but many countries, including the United States, are still skeptical about vaccine mixing.
"We have been undergoing very active engagement with other countries, including the United States," Tam told a press briefing when asked about discussions with the US government and other countries that are top destinations for Canadians about accepting travelers vaccinated with a mixed-dose schedule.
Tam said Canadian officials are in regular contact with a host of US government agencies and have presented data showing the effectiveness of Canada's approach.
She explained the United States remains skeptical of the interchangeability of the AstraZeneca and mRNA vaccines, namely Pfizer and Moderna. US public health officials have not yet approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Some Canadians, who have traveled abroad, have voiced their criticism about the fact their mixed-dose vaccination schedule was not considered to meet the criteria for being "fully vaccinated."
