As travel restrictions begin to loosen, there is some confusion about which vaccines will be recognized as legitimate for people trying to travel internationally.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative federal MP Alex Ruff is looking for answers from the government and so is the Province of Ontario.
The Ontario government is asking the federal government to help ensure Canadians who received different doses of COVID-19 vaccines are recognized as fully immunized for international travel.
Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones recently wrote to the federal government, urging it to work with the World Health Organization to update guidance to reflect that.
Some countries that follow WHO advice are not recognizing those who received mixed shots as vaccinated, while several cruise lines have also taken up similar policies.
Meanwhile, on the federal level, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff has written to Health Minister Patty Hadju asking what the government’s plan is when it comes to mixed vaccines not being recognized by other countries.
He adds, “the government here recommended that Canadians get the AstraZeneca,” says Ruff, explaining, “The challenge now is other countries aren’t recognizing that.”
Ruff says Quebec has allowed Quebecers to potentially go get a third does of one of the other vaccines so that they can now be allowed to travel internationally.
“Unfortunately other countries out there are not recognizing this mixing and matching,” says Ruff.
Ruff has also sent a letter asking if Canada is reviewing other vaccines that have been approved by the WHO but have not been procured in Canada.
Right now Canada’s travel eligibility only extends to Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccinated people.
If someone had the Sputnik, Cansino, Gamalaya, Bharat Biotech, Sinopharm or Sinovac or Vector Institute vaccines, they are not considered fully vaccinated by Canada.
Ruff says he’s been in contact with some constituents who have been working abroad or even been stuck abroad for the past year or so, as is the case with one person who has been stuck in the Dominican Republic.
Ruff says they were given a Chinese Sinovac vaccine and are being told by public health and their doctor that they’re adequately vaccinated, but Ruff notes, “According to the government of Canada, if they come back to Canada, they’ve got to go into quarantine—they’re not vaccinated.”
“This lack of clarity, this confusion around this, is upsetting a lot of Canadians,” says Ruff.
He’s also asking for clarification on recommendations that some people receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to things like allergy complications that make them unable to take Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca.
“Their doctors have recommended Johnson & Johnson, so I’m just trying to get clarity from the government and from the minister on what’s the distribution plan?”
Ruff says Canada signed on for 10 million doses of Johnson & Johnson.
He’d like to know where they are, and if there will be a distribution plan for those who are being told they should not get the other vaccines.