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COVID-19 travel: Canadians should be allowed to visit other countries despite mixed vaccine doses, PM Trudeau urges

COVID-19 travel: Canadians should be allowed to visit other countries despite mixed vaccine doses, PM Trudeau urges

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about Quebec's decision to offer a third dose of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for individuals to travel to a country that does not recognize their vaccination status.

Trudeau maintained that Canada is a "touchstone" for other governments to look at to see if a product is safe and effective.

"When we’re talking about a massive vaccination campaign like we’ve seen in Canada where frontline heath workers, provinces, the federal government have all worked together, along with volunteer and community members across the country, you have to recognize that we have done extraordinarily well," the prime minister said.

"We will continue to work with our international partners to recognize that Health Canada processes are outstanding and anyone who is considered fully vaccinated in Canada is safe to travel around the world."

'You will not be safe' if you don't get vaccinated, Trudeau says

Trudeau also said Canada has now received enough COVID-19 vaccines to fully vaccinate all eligible Canadians, totalling over 66 million doses.

He stressed that it remains critically important that all Canadians receive a full series of COVID-19 vaccines.

"Unfortunately the reality is that with the Delta variant and other variants of concern out there, it is likely that we will see a rise in cases over the coming months but it will primarily be limited to unvaccinated people," Trudeau said. "Certainly the serious health outcomes, the overwhelming of our health authorities in certain parts of the country, which is potentially possible, is of real concern.

"If everyone else gets vaccinated, they will be kept safe, you will not be safe."