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Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill gets the green light Canadians received some good pandemic-related news to kick off the week: a new treatment option will soon be available in the fight against COVID-19. Paxlovid, Pfizer’s antiviral pill, was authorized as the first at-home, oral treatment for COVID-19 in Canada on Monday. Health Canada said Paxlovid can be given to adults aged 18 and older who test positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing mild or moderate illness, and who are at high risk of becoming more seriously ill. The downside is, the pill is in short supply for the time being, prompting Canada’s doctors to prioritize certain groups – including those who are unvaccinated. Global News’ Rachel Gilmore spoke to bioethicists for their take on whether prioritizing this group is the right move. In other positive pandemic news, Canada’s top doctors said Friday the Omicron wave may have peaked in the country. 
Assessing your COVID risk as economies reopen Some provinces announced plans to start easing their COVID-19 restrictions this past week, but Canadians may be wondering if it’s truly safe to return to certain activities. Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled his plan Thursday for a full reopening, starting at the end January with indoor dining and gyms allowed to operate at half capacity. B.C., meanwhile, said gyms were allowed to reopen in that province on Jan. 20. However, medical experts say determining individual risk level as things reopen is “complicated.” As Global News’ Rachel Gilmore reports, many Canadians are calculating those risks for themselves as they grapple with constantly-changing public health rules. 
Q: “I received AstraZeneca for my first dose and Pfizer for my second. Is it okay to have Moderna for my booster? I'm concerned about both effectiveness and possible side effects from all the mixing.” “I would have no concerns about mixing and matching in terms of either side effects or effectiveness,” said Dr. Matthew Miller, an associate professor of infectious diseases and immunology at McMaster University. “There is no evidence that mixing vaccine types increases risk of adverse events.” Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends booster shots of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) be offered to adults regardless if they’ve received a viral vector vaccine like AstraZeneca in the past. Miller says for all intents and purposes, the Pfizer and Modern vaccines are “indistinguishable,” with the only small difference being a slightly higher dose with Moderna. “Many people don't realize this, but there are actually many different manufacturers of seasonal influenza vaccines, and most people "mix-and-match" those vaccines on an annual basis without even knowing it,” Miller said. “So mixing-and-matching is nothing new. In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, there has simply been much more public awareness of different vaccine manufacturers than we have seen in the past.” | 
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