Health Canada has authorized use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in the battle against the virus. The authorization clears the vaccine to be used for people over the age of 18.
The vaccine – like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – requires two doses. The company says the second dose can be provided between 4 and 12 weeks after the initial dose. The vaccine can be stored – transported – and handled at normal refrigerated conditions of between two and eight degrees Celsius for up to six months.
The federal government signed a contract last Fall with AstraZeneca to provide 20,000,000 doses of the vaccine once it was cleared by Health Canada. In a release – the company says it is working to deliver the vaccine as quickly as possible now that it has been approved.
