People pass by a vaccine clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ontario, on April 13. Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
Many health experts say they are increasingly concerned about the slow adoption of the first booster vaccines across the country, warning that two doses of COVID-19 vaccine do not offer sufficient protection against the Omicron variant and that many Canadians may be unknowingly at risk. as a result.
Only 47 percent of the population, or 57 percent of those aged 18 and over, have received booster vaccines so far, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. This is a growing concern, experts say, as growing evidence suggests that three COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations are needed to provide adequate protection against the Omicron variant.
“This is a vaccine with a minimum of three doses,” said Catherine Smart, president of the Canadian Medical Association. “We have not spent all over this finish line. For some people, that means they will die. “
Dr Smart said governments and health agencies had not done well enough, stressing the importance of the first booster injections, and that standing on the podium, repeating the same message, “did nothing” and even annoyed some.
“We lost people in the noise,” she said.
Health Canada reported this week that nearly 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines have expired since January, indicating that both primary vaccinations and boosters have declined significantly.
Complicating matters is the fact that the National Immunization Advisory Committee last week called on jurisdictions to focus on the “rapid deployment” of second booster vaccines for high-risk individuals, including older people in the community and all long-term carers. While second boosters are important to protect these vulnerable people, some experts say they are becoming increasingly concerned about the consequences of so many people not getting their first booster.
“These are three shots to defend against Omicron,” said Brian Conway, president and medical director of the Vancouver Center for Infectious Diseases. “If we tell people they need a fourth injection, people who don’t get a third injection will be even further behind.”
The issue of booster doses is critical, as the now dominant variant of Omicron is able to avoid some of the protective effect offered by two doses of currently available mRNA vaccines, especially in more vulnerable individuals. While the third and fourth doses or booster vaccines do not always stop people from becoming infected, they work very well to prevent hospitalization and death. For example, a US study published in the British Medical Journal in March found that two doses of mRNA vaccine were only 65% effective in preventing Omicron-related hospitalizations in people aged 18 and over. For people who received three doses, the effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations increased to 86%.
In light of the new surge in COVID-19 in Canada this week, NACI has stepped up its recommendation for first booster vaccines, saying that adults aged 18 and over should be offered an additional mRNA vaccine at least six months after the last dose. (Recommendations for vaccination time vary depending on age, health, and previous vaccines and infection with COVID-19. For very healthy adults, the first booster dose would be a third dose of mRNA vaccine.)
But some say that in order to get more people in line, official communication about the importance of boosters needs to change.
“I think we really need to get serious,” Dr. Smart said. “Where do we go from here with our health communication?”
Dr Conway said some people may feel tired or frustrated as advice on vaccine schedules seems to continue to change. But The SARS-CoV-2 virus is changing, and with the development of scientific understanding of vaccine protection, public health guidelines need to be developed, he said.
The best available evidence suggests that three and, in some individuals, four doses of mRNA offer the best protection. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that people aged 60 and over who received a second booster vaccine were less likely to get severe COVID-19 results than people who received only one booster dose.
As the Omicron variant is still so new, it is unclear how long the defense against severe results will last. But most health experts agree that people are likely to be offered boosters on a regular basis, probably similar to annual flu vaccinations.
Many experts also call on the Public Health Agency and other health organizations to stop using the term “fully vaccinated” for those who have received two doses of mRNA vaccine against COVID-19.
“I don’t think it’s a term that works scientifically or practically,” said Doug Manuel, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and a member of the Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network. “I think it’s misleading. I think it’s wrong. “
Asked if the Public Health Agency would stop using the term “fully vaccinated”, a spokeswoman sent an excerpt from a press conference this week, during which Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, said it was an ongoing discussion.
With a report from The Canadian Press
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