Canada should roll out second doses 'asap': NACI

Canada's expert advisory panel on vaccines says the country should deliver second doses of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible, given the increasing supply.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says those at highest risk of dying or becoming severely ill should be prioritized for second shots at the same time or after the remaining eligible population receives their first dose.

Committee chairwoman Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh says in a statement that the panel's recommended four-month dose interval should be the "upper limit," and provinces and territories should aim to start administering second doses as quickly as local logistics allow.

The panel also recommends people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an autoimmune condition be vaccinated against COVID-19 like anyone else.

It had previously said that COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to people in these groups in some circumstances, when the benefits outweighed the risks, because clinical trials either excluded these groups or involved them in small numbers.