A shipment of 300,000 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines will arrive in Canada by the end of the month.
While the vaccine has raised concerns about possible links to blood clots, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says they still want to have the option of using it rather than turn shipments away.
“Before those vaccines are distributed, we will ensure that Health Canada is continuing to approve this Janssen vaccine for use safely in Canada. We will always put the health of Canadians first and foremost,” he says.
He is also reassuring Canadians who are hesitant about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s risk of blood clots.
“There are side effects, but they are so rare that it is much safer for people to get vaccinated with whatever vaccine is offered to them than to go unvaccinated,” Trudeau points out.
Canada is also set to receive more Pfizer vaccine doses, which Trudeau is touting as good news in light of delays at Moderna’s European plant.
Trudeau says they’ve secured a deal that will have Pfizer shots arriving sooner than expected.
“This will come out to about double the Pfizer doses we were originally expecting. All told, we will be receiving eight-million doses in May, and almost 12-million in June from Pfizer alone,” he explains.
Trudeau says the country is still on track to vaccinate everyone who wants the shot by September.
