Justin Trudeau gets first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Friday afternoon.

He and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau got their shots at a local pharmacy, he said at a news conference Friday.

“I’m excited and confident about getting my vaccine today,” Trudeau said.

The couple scheduled their appointments after Ontario lowered the eligibility age for AstraZeneca to 40 and above.

As 40-somethings across Canada track down pharmacies with available appointments, many are comparing it to seeking coveted concert tickets.

• See also:
  • Canada buys 65M Pfizer booster shots for protection against variants
  • Canada banning flights from India, Pakistan for 30 days
  • Gen Xers are nerding out after becoming eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine

In a tweet, Trudeau stressed it’s important to take whichever vaccine is offered first in order to bring Canada’s third wave of COVID-19 infection under control.

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 23, 2021

He also announced Friday that Canada has secured at least 65 million additional Pfizer doses that will serve as booster shots in the next two years.

LIVE: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccinehttps://t.co/4VKCfiT5AH

EN DIRECT : Le PM Justin Trudeau et Sophie Grégoire Trudeau reçoivent leur première dose de vaccin contre la COVID-19https://t.co/EIla2VyBww pic.twitter.com/IO5YkDHTig

— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) April 23, 2021