New Brunswick devises confusing way to measure vaccine protection
CBC
New Brunswick Public Health officials have come up with a new and confusing way of measuring the level of vaccine protection the population has against COVID-19.
Even Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell struggled to explain it Monday in interviews with CBC News.
"We have 66 per cent of the population vaccinated now with their second doses and boosters," she told Shift New Brunswick.
On the same day, the province's COVID-19 dashboard showed 87.3 per cent of eligible people with two doses and 50.6 per cent with a booster dose.
Asked to explain her figure, Russell responded, "I can check that number. … I have the 66 per cent in front of me."
She continued: "You've either had your second dose, or your second dose and booster. That's what we're considering fully protected right now."
Health Department spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane explained in an email statement Tuesday that the figure represents the number of people who have had a third or booster dose, plus those who received a second dose in the last six months but did not get a third.
Research indicates that immunity from COVID-19 vaccines wanes after six months, so New Brunswickers who got a second dose before Sept. 15, 2021 and who did not get a booster would be less protected.
"Evidence currently suggests that protection against COVID-19 remains highest for six months following the second dose," Macfarlane said.
Based on figures in government news releases, about 118,582 people have had second doses, but no booster, within the last six months.
Add that to the 380,762 people who have had boosters as of Tuesday's update, and you get 499,344 people — or 66.6 per cent of the eligible population as of Monday.
University of Ottawa epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan says it's a "useless" measure that muddies the message on how many doses people should have.
"If fully vaxxed is three doses then that's what matters," he said in an email. "If fully vaxxed is two doses, then that's what matters."
Several studies have shown that while two doses offer some protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the now-dominant Omicron variant, three doses are better.
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