Some Canadians were frustrated after the US cruise line issued a policy statement that they did not recognize that the mixed and matched COVID-19 vaccine was fully vaccinated.
As the country faces vaccine supply problems, thousands of Canadians have responded to calls to mix and match their doses.
When the National Advisory Committee on Immunization not only stated that mixing and matching is acceptable, but also It is recommended when the first dose is a viral vector vaccine, such as AstraZeneca.
However, the Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruise Line, Holland America Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line policy stipulate that these companies do not accept any form of mix and match-whether it is Pfizer or Moderna-or mix and match viral vector vaccines, especially with mRNA Vaccine vaccine, such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer or Moderna.
“According to CDC guidelines, Celebrity will consider a guest to be’fully vaccinated’ and provide a vaccination certificate, which can include only a mixed dose of Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccine. The policy on the Celebrity Cruises website states that there are no other mixed vaccine doses Can make guests eligible for “fully vaccinated.”
The policy on the Carnival Cruise Line website states: “For cruise ships departing from the United States, the CDC requires that the two vaccines in the two-dose series must be of the same type.
“They also only accept mixed mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).
“No other combination of vaccines meets the criteria to be considered fully vaccinated. Therefore, for example, Canadian or other international guests who receive the combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer are considered unvaccinated by the CDC.”
Some cruise companies only allow fully vaccinated guests to board the ship, while other cruise companies require those who are deemed not to be vaccinated to apply for an exemption or to comply with different agreements.
Travel bloggers Karen and Brian Hosier of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, have booked six cruises next year.
However, both mixed and matched their vaccines-they first received the AstraZeneca vaccine and then the Pfizer dose.
“It’s a bit frustrating. I don’t know whether to cancel at the moment. [our] Travel,” Karen said.
When Canadians were advised to mix and match, both said they were satisfied with the dosages they received from two different manufacturers.
“I believe in the science behind it,” Brian said.
When they are now arguing whether to wait for a policy change or cancel the voyage, the couple said they have no regrets about following the advice of doctors and public health officials.
“We hope to be vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus,” Karen said.
“If anything, I believe-eventually-common sense will prevail,” Brian said.
“We like to cruise in a way that people can cruise before the pandemic. If the new cruise is, because it’s a modified version, you can’t do short trips, you can’t fully visit the ship, etc., which is not for us cruise.”
Zahid Bart, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Waterloo, said there is no evidence that mixing and matching vaccines is harmful, and said Studies have shown that mixing AstraZeneca with a second dose of Pfizer can produce better antibody responses to the virus.
“There is no scientific evidence that people who receive a second dose of a different vaccine have lower immunity than those who receive the same vaccine,” he said.
“There must be scientific evidence to prove why you don’t allow people to join the cruise ship.”
When asked what evidence the company uses to support its policies, a statement issued by Carnival Cruise Line to Global News stated that the company is using the CDC’s definition of fully vaccinated.
“Anyone who uses mRNA vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer at the same time is considered unvaccinated. Therefore, these guests need to apply for an exemption from our vaccination standards,” the statement read.
Similarly, a statement from Celebrity Cruises to Global News stated that it also follows the guidance of the country it sails.
“For our ships sailing from the United States, we follow the CDC guidelines, which allow mixed mRNA vaccines, but not other vaccines. We will consider fully vaccinating guests who have mixed two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna). Our ships sailing in the UK and our ships sailing in Greece, we follow the guidelines of their respective countries, and both allow the mixed use of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines,” the statement read.
Kerry Bowman, professor of bioethics and global health at the University of Toronto, said the differences in vaccination policies in different countries are “very, very problematic.”
“This is the surface of vaccine passports, and this is why they are so morally difficult because they divide people. In fact, if people can’t take these cruise ships, there is solid scientific evidence that they are more risky to themselves and others. …But it’s not the case,” he said.
Bowman said that global attention to the epidemic is not enough, which has led countries to formulate their own policies, which has created these bureaucratic problems.
“I think that as things unfold slowly, we will see more and more problems,” he said.
“This is indeed a question of freedom of movement. Now people’s freedom of movement is restricted. From an epidemiological point of view, are these restrictions reasonable? They are totally unreasonable.”
Bowman said that it is almost like brand and commercial factors rather than any other factors driving the division of the department.
“This is extremely unfair to people,” he said, adding that there are concerns that this may weaken trust in the country’s health leadership, and they encourage people to mix and match their doses.
“It might happen-Canada is mixing [doses], International people may not like it, now it is coming.
“This will weaken this trust, and for other Canadians who have not been fully vaccinated or who need a booster vaccine in the coming months, this may cause vaccine hesitation.”
As for Hosiers, they said that this experience made them rethink how and where they travel.
“We feel we did everything right.
“We got the vaccine as quickly as possible at the right time.
“When we opened the window for the second vaccine, we were ranked first. But now with this…’Oh, you have already been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, so we don’t consider you to be vaccinated or mixed Match,” Brian said.
“This will also affect our bottom line for spending money.”
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
