Sask. residents who got AstraZeneca vaccine as first doses wonder what’s next

In late March, Regina-area farmer Kevin Huber joined thousands of others and got in line at Evraz Place, rolled up his sleeve and got his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

At the time, the 59-year-old was happy to do so. Now, with the Saskatchewan government announcing it’s considering using a different vaccine as a second dose for those who initially got AstraZeneca, he wonders what’s going on.

“I find it completely ridiculous,” he said. “It’s like watching a three-ring circus through this entire process. First of all, we were told AstraZeneca wasn’t going to be an issue (and) everybody should get their dose … and (I got) assurances that I would be getting a second shot.

“Now, they’re saying, ‘Well, maybe take Pfizer for your second shot …’ and I’m not comfortable with that. Where’s the science around that? Am I upset about it? Yes. I was expecting a second shot of AstraZeneca. Now, I have no idea where I’m heading.”

He’s worried about what effects a different vaccine — especially an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna — may have. While he does want to get his second vaccine dose, he also wants assurances that it’s safe to do so with another vaccine.

“They keep saying, ‘Believe the science.’ Well, where’s the science that shows that it’s safe?” he wondered.

Huber says he and his wife always mask up when they’re outside their home in public places, so he’s willing to wait if he needs to to get a second AstraZeneca dose.

He also says both the provincial and federal governments need to “get their act together” and be more proactive rather than reactive.

“If we ever get another pandemic, it could be a lot worse and we really need to have a specific plan,” he said.

For 67-year-old Dana Leith Tisdale in Regina, she too was happy to get her first AstraZeneca shot — but she adds she felt pressured to so do.

“My daughter, who is a police officer, convinced me that having the shot is better than not having one at all,” Tisdale said.

And for Tisdale, the uncertainty surrounding second doses makes her feel a bit like a lab experiment.

“I feel like I’m a guinea pig or a lab rat,” she said.

She says she won’t think about what kind of vaccine will be in store for her for her second dose until it’s time for her to get one.

But Saskatoon writer Craig Silliphant feels everyone should get whichever vaccine is offered to them at the time — and that’s why he received the AstraZeneca first dose.

He doesn’t have an issue getting a different vaccine as a second dose, provided it’s safe and effective.

“There’s obviously a lot of research going on now on the effectiveness of having your booster shot with a different shot of vaccine … But it doesn’t really matter to me as long as I’m satisfied it’s going to be effective against COVID,” he said.

That’s the bottom line, he says, as after getting the AstraZeneca shot, at least he has had some protection against the virus.

“If I waited two months, then that’s two months that I’m not building up protection against COVID,” he added. “You have to make informed decisions and pay attention to the science and the literature.”

Information from a United Kingdom study on mixing vaccines, their safety and effectiveness, is expected in the coming days.