Quebec to Go Against Advice From National Vaccine Panel and Give AstraZeneca to 65+

People wait in line to get tested for COVID-19 at a testing clinic in Montreal, on March 7, 2021. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

MONTREAL—Quebec said Monday it will administer the newly approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to seniors, despite Canada’s national vaccine expert panel recommending against its use for people over the age of 65.

The province’s vaccine expert committee is recommending that all approved vaccines be used immediately to prevent deaths and hospitalizations, the Health Department said in a news release, adding that the AstraZeneca vaccine “provides more flexibility in immunization efforts, especially for priority groups aged 70 to 79.”