Health experts say there’s no need to panic — as long as those most vulnerable to serious effects from the virus are as up-to-date as they can be with their vaccines, younger, healthy people should wait until fourth doses or even possibly updated vaccines are more widely available in the coming months.
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“Those over 60, those who are immunocompromised should get their fourth dose. And that’s really to reduce their risk of hospitalization going forward,” said infectious disease specialist Dr. Zane Chagla. Story continues below ad “If you’ve had three doses now and you’re not in one of those over-60 or immunocompromised groups, you can be pretty confident that your risk of hospitalization is very low.” Last week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) came out with new guidelines on fall booster shots in anticipation of a possible future wave of COVID-19 in Canada. It recommended that Canadians at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 be offered a fall booster dose “regardless of the number of previous booster doses.” 2:01 Ontario Prepares for Summer COVID-19 Surge Ontario Prepares for Summer COVID-19 Surge He says this should include people age 65 and older, residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities, and people age 12 and older with an underlying medical condition that puts them at high risk of severe COVID-19. Story continues below ad NACI also recommended that boosters “may” be offered to all other people between the ages of 12 and 64, regardless of how many booster doses they have previously received. Some provinces and territories, including Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and Yukon, have opened up their eligibility for second booster doses — which would be the fourth dose of the vaccine — to anyone over the age of 18 and 12, respectively. who had been waiting some months since their last installment.
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But others, such as Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, only offer second boosters to people over 50 and the immunocompromised, as well as First Nations, Inuit and Métis . Alberta and British Columbia, meanwhile, only allow fourth doses for people over 70 and vulnerable populations. Both BC’s health chief, Dr. Bonnie Henry, as well as Ontario’s leading physician, Dr. Kieran Moore, said they are waiting to open up the availability of a second booster until more people in their provinces receive their first boosters. This has caused concern among those who are not yet eligible, many of whom have taken to social media to express their doubts. 1:52 What to expect from COVID-19 in the summer and fall? What to expect from COVID-19 this summer and fall? – June 30, 2022 In addition, some provinces have opened up eligibility to younger age groups while others have not, which has caused confusion and raised questions about why there are mixed messages coming from public health officials about the same virus and vaccine depending on where one lives . Story continues below ad That mixed message at a time when the response to COVID-19 has come under fire from many who oppose vaccines and lockdowns could undermine public confidence in the system, says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at General Hospital of Toronto. Related News
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“When you have a lot of seemingly credible voices recommending different approaches and when you have guidance that sometimes contradicts what different experts are saying and when you have provinces with different policies, that leads to more confusion in the general public and that breeds mistrust,” he he said. “I think this is a major, major issue.”
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But as the virus changes and the world’s perception of it changes, advice on how to respond to it will change and be different for people at different levels of risk, Chagla said. The flu vaccine, for example, has different doses for people based on age and risk factors, just like other vaccines, he noted. When the COVID-19 vaccines first came out, everyone needed them equally, so the messaging could be the same across Canada. Now, depending on a person’s previous vaccination status and personal risk factors, the advice may be different, Chagla said. Story continues below ad “Now, it really needs to be focused, but with (public health) we’re having an open discussion about why there’s a focus on certain populations versus others.” The top priority is making sure anyone who hasn’t yet received a third dose — a group that includes millions of Canadians across the country — gets a boost, Bogoch said.
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For those who are younger, healthy and up-to-date with their vaccines, there may be some benefit to holding off on the fourth dose, since some vaccine makers have already submitted new formulations that protect against Omicron variants to health regulators, he said. . “I think people are frustrated that the system is not simple. This is a virus that we are learning from day by day,” Bogoch said. “But, you know, we shouldn’t be disappointed if the messages change. It’s really informing the science and finding that some groups benefit better from more vaccines than other groups where the benefits are less profound.” Related News © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
