3rd doses crucial, experts say, as Alberta faces COVID-19 resurgence
CBC
Alberta's stalled third-dose uptake could spell trouble as the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant drives another pandemic surge in the province, experts are warning.
With just 36.7 per cent of the total population triple vaccinated against COVID-19, Alberta lags behind all the other provinces.
Of those eligible for a third shot (everyone 12 and up), uptake sits at 43.1 per cent.
"I'm really perceiving that a lot of people don't understand — haven't really been exposed to the notion — that the third dose is crucial right now," said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease physician with the University of Alberta.
"A lot of people seem to settle on the idea that they're fully vaccinated after two doses and haven't gotten around to or haven't seen a strong reason to go get that third dose."
But the third dose is doing a lot of the heavy lifting at this stage of the pandemic, she said.
"It takes you from being maybe 60 per cent protected against hospitalization comparatively to over 90 per cent, which is a lot."
At the University of Calgary, infectious disease specialist Dr. Dan Gregson said the virus will be difficult to avoid in the weeks ahead.
"Omicron is coming to a nose near you whether you like it or not," he warned.
Gregson said that with virtually all public health measures eliminated and the BA.2 subvariant driving transmission rates up, third doses — which have been found to be safe — are key, along with masking, to minimizing further pressure on Alberta's already strained and short-staffed hospitals.
"Third doses will reduce the severity of the infection you get and reduce the probability you'll end up in hospital," he said.
"With the new variants, the data suggests you do need to get the extra boost."
Hospitalizations are already rising. The latest data shows there are 990 Albertans in hospital with COVID, including 44 in the ICU.
Positivity rates are also increasing along with new weekly case numbers and wastewater levels of the virus in some communities.
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