Trudeau says AstraZeneca recipients will ‘not be disadvantaged’ when they travel

While AstraZeneca shots are made in some US facilities, the US Food and Drug Administration has never approved its use in the US market.

Some private entities, such as Broadway shows and television production studios, have indicated that they will exclude AstraZeneca recipients.

The mayor of British Columbia was surprised when he learned he couldn’t attend a show Springsteen in Broadway In New York City because of the place operatorAnd the Jujamcyn theaters, limit attendance to those who have received mRNA shots or a single-dose shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Currently, the US government does not require proof of vaccination for travel across its borders.

Air travelers bound for the United States, including those who have been fully vaccinated, are required to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test, or recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months, before boarding the plane.

Health Canada maintains the AstraZeneca injection is safe and effective, but the National Immunization Advisory Committee (NACI) said Thursday that mRNA products from Pfizer and Moderna are “preferred” and people should choose one of those shots for their second dose.

Canada is making the US ‘on the same page’ – Trudeau

Trudeau – who himself received the AstraZeneca vaccine – said discussions with other countries about how to treat those who have taken a dose of this product are still ongoing.

“We will definitely make sure that people who have had one or two doses of AstraZeneca will not be disadvantaged when they want to travel,” he said in French.

“We hope to be able to resolve these issues in the coming weeks in time for easing restrictions around travel. The US has not yet said what their criteria are. We are working with them to get to the same page.”

WATCH: Trudeau says it’s working with the US to reduce travel barriers for AZ recipients

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters this morning that he is working with the United States and international partners to ensure that recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine face few obstacles when traveling abroad. The FDA has never approved the use of AstraZeneca in the US market. 0:49

For now, most foreign travelers will be turned away from Canada — the government extended the Canada-US border closure on Friday until July 21 at the earliest — because not enough people are being vaccinated here, Trudeau said.

Canada maintains its ban on most American travelers, including those who have been fully vaccinated, because these arrivals can act as carriers of COVID-19, spreading the virus to communities that are not yet adequately covered.

“We have to hit our goals of vaccinating 75 percent with the first dose and at least 20 percent with a second dose before we start to loosen things up,” Trudeau said.

“Even a fully vaccinated person can pass COVID-19 to someone who has not been vaccinated, and that means we really have to make sure that not only fully vaccinated people can travel, but the communities they’re going back to are not at risk.”

To facilitate future international travel, he said, Canada is working on a vaccine passport program.

Canadians and permanent residents will soon be able to upload a copy of their vaccination certificates to the ArriveCAN app, which will allow them to bypass the mandatory hotel quarantine upon their return. All returning travelers must self-isolate for 14 days.

In the medium term, Trudeau said, there will be a more formal federal program linked to regional health registries, which would give border guards access to vaccination records. Canada wants to coordinate this program with other countries to facilitate travel abroad.

Watch: Dr. Theresa Tam discusses the AstraZeneca vaccine and travels to the US

Director of Public Health Dr Theresa Tam explains what she knows about whether Canadians vaccinated with AstraZeneca will be allowed to travel freely to the United States 1:20