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(Adds background, details from provincial press conference)
OTTAWA, March 29 (Reuters) - A Canadian advisory panel on
immunization is preparing to recommend that AstraZeneca Plc's
COVID-19 vaccine not be given to people under 55 for the
time being because of safety concerns, the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp reported on Monday.
The move follows reports from Europe of clotting issues and
bleeding in some people after vaccination, mainly young women.
While the possible side effect is rare, it is not yet clear how
rare.
Many European countries briefly stopped using the
Anglo-Swedish firm's vaccine while investigating the incidents
earlier this month, but Canada continued to administer doses,
arguing that the benefits of vaccination outweighed potential
risks.
Nearly all countries have since resumed use of the
AstraZeneca vaccine. But France broke with guidance from the
European medical regulator and said on March 19 that it should
only be given to people aged 55 or older. France said the
decision was based on evidence that clotting affected younger
people.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday that federal
officials had told his provincial government late on Sunday that
the recommendation was coming.
"The federal government will be in full discussions (with
us), as we have been since yesterday and today, to see the
direction we are going to go with this," Ford said at a news
conference.
In Canada, most AstraZeneca doses have been given to people
who are over 60, as the country focuses scarce vaccine on people
who are most at risk of death and serious illness from COVID-19.
The country is expecting another 1.5 million doses of the
AstraZeneca vaccine this week from the United States, which has
not yet authorized its use. Canada has ordered more than 20
million doses from AstraZeneca and its partner, the Serum
Institute of India.
Health Canada, the country's drug regulator, did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer in Ottawa;
writing by Allison Martell in Toronto
Editing by Chris Reese and Paul Simao)
