Vaccine fatigue is real. These experts say messaging on COVID boosters should be clear

COVID-19 vaccines aimed at both the original strain and Omicron variants are expected in Canada this fall.

But messaging on booster doses has been mixed across the country. Some experts like virologist Angela Rasmussen recommend getting the first available booster, while other officials like Manitoba's Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin say his province will wait to open up fourth doses for all adults until new bivalent vaccines are approved. 

The mixed messaging on vaccines has led to some Canadians facing what experts call "vaccine fatigue" — or being overwhelmed by COVID-19 vaccine information.

And that fatigue might have an impact on booster uptake. About 82 per cent of Canadians have had their primary series completed, about 57 per cent of residents 12 and older have received at least one additional dose and about 12 per cent of the population have gotten two additional doses.

Some virologists and public health experts say if we're going to roll out new vaccines or offer more doses of existing jabs, government messaging needs to be clear about why people should get vaccinated at this stage of the pandemic.

"Sitting here [in] mid-August, it's a little bit hard to sort of know what people's response is going to be in the fall," said Julie Bettinger, a University of British Columbia pediatrics professor and vaccine safety scientist at the Vaccine Evaluation Center in B.C. 

"There does need to probably be specific messaging for that [vaccine fatigued] group in terms of why a booster dose is important and what sort of additional protection it provides."

Health experts say the messaging needs to be clear about the effectiveness of the vaccines and the protection they offer.

Data has shown that a third dose offers a significant increase in protection against infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. 

Research suggests some people do benefit from a fourth dose, including long-term care residents, the elderly and other vulnerable groups, but data showing a clear benefit to those under the age of 60 is lacking.

In addition to clear messaging on vaccine protection, it also needs to be easy for people to get their booster shots or future bivalent vaccines, health experts said. 

"If we can make getting a COVID booster as easy as it is to get a flu shot or some other regular health behaviour, I think that will reduce the barriers quite a lot," said Devon Greyson, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health. 

Vaccine hesitancy is one reason why a small portion of the public is not getting vaccinated, but vaccine fatigue may also "compromise people's vaccination intention." 

That's what researchers in the U.S., Brazil and China found in a literature review published in peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology in March.