Trudeau, wife to receive first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine Friday

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, are expected to receive their first doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, the prime minister announced on Twitter.

“I’ve said before that the best vaccine for you is the first one that’s offered to you – that’s why Sophie and I are getting our AstraZeneca shots tomorrow,” Justin Trudeau tweeted.

I’ve said before that the best vaccine for you is the first one that’s offered to you – that’s why Sophie and I are getting our AstraZeneca shots tomorrow. If you’re eligible but haven’t gotten a shot yet, click here to see how you can set something up: https://t.co/7Amw1BGGFN

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 22, 2021

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for COVID-19 last March, leading to a self-quarantine for her and Trudeau for 14 days. 

CTV News reported that the couple will receive the vaccine at 12:45 p.m. in Ottawa.

Canada’s drug regulator Health Canada authorized two versions of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in late February for adults aged 18 older — one made by the company and another version manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

A Canadian advisory committee recommended pausing the use of the vaccine in adults under age 55 in late March over concerns about a possible link to blood clots.

According to 680 News, Ontario recently lowered the eligibility for AstraZeneca’s vaccine from 55 years old to 40 years of age and older. The news outlet reported that Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, has also publicly received his first dose of the vaccine, as has Toronto Mayor John Tory.

More than 10 million people in Canada have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a tracker from CTV, and 979,227 have been fully vaccinated.