'I'm kind of getting handcuffed by it': Mixed vaccinations posing problems for Manitoba travellers
Before the pandemic Mike Jaycocks and a group of friends would plan a trip to a sunny destination outside of Canada every year.
Now, as international borders begin to reopen, Jaycocks is looking into a post-pandemic trip, only to discover he may not be recognized as “fully vaccinated,” even after receiving two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Everybody advocated for AstraZeneca, so I thought, ‘okay, I want to do my part,’” said Jaycocks, who received a first dose of the viral vector AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer mRNA vaccine as his second dose.
“But now it’s kind of rebounding and I’m kind of getting handcuffed by it,” he said.
“The reality is there are going to be a lot of places that aren’t going to consider me fully vaccinated.”
Some tourist destinations are not recognizing mixed COVID-19 doses as fully vaccinated.
Barbados recently overturned its rule against mixed dose travellers, though cruise lines remain an issue for folks who received two different varieties of COVID-19 vaccines.
“Guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine (e.g., AstraZeneca) and one single dose of an mRNA vaccine (e.g., Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna) will not be considered fully vaccinated,” reads Princess Cruises's vaccination policy.
The cruise line will recognize individuals who received two different doses of the same type of vaccine (e.g., the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines) as fully vaccinated.
Other major cruise lines, like Carnival CruiseLine and Norwegian Cruise Lines, have similar policies in place.
It’s an issue the province of Manitoba is currently aware of.
“We can't change our rollout to try to match the requirements of the thousands upon thousands of different companies and the rules that they may have in place,” Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the province’s vaccine implementation task force, said on Wednesday.
“That doesn't minimize how frustrating it is for someone who may not be able to go on a cruise with their cruise line of choice,” said Reimer.
Travel advisor Barb Crowe said she has been fielding a lot of calls and questions from prospective travellers on international vaccine policies and mixed doses.
She’s hopeful cruise lines and other countries will recognize mixed vaccines as fully vaccinated soon.
“Sometimes I think there’s a bit of a knee-jerking reaction going on,” said Crowe, president of Ixtapa Travel.
“When they really sort it out and dot the I’s and cross the T’s, I sort of feel like it’s going to be okay,” she said.
In the meantime, Jaycocks hopes the province will provide him with a second mRNA dose if there’s adequate supply.
“If there are doses and I can get my second Pfizer,” said Jaycocks, “Then why not let me?”
“At this time, no province or territory is offering third doses for the purpose of travel or compliance with individual company policies,” reads a statement provided by a provincial spokesperson to CTV News.
“We expect that over time, mixed schedules will be recognized widely as they are being used in many countries around the world.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.