A seventh wave of COVID-19 appears to be making its way across Canada, but confusion has been created among many about who is eligible for the fourth dose of the vaccine and when they can get it.
Health experts say there is no need to panic: as long as those most vulnerable to severe virus outcomes are as up to date with their vaccines, younger, healthier people should wait until the fourth or last dose. and everything. possibly updated vaccines will be more available in the coming months.
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“Those over 60, those who are immunocompromised should receive their fourth dose. And this is really to reduce their risk of hospitalization by advancing,” said infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla.
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“If you’ve now had three doses and you’re not in any of those groups over 60 or immunocompromised, you can rest easy because your risk of hospitalization is very low.”
Last week, the National Immunization Advisory Committee (NACI) released new guidelines on booster vaccines for the fall ahead of a possible future wave of COVID-19 in Canada.
He recommended that Canadians at increased risk for serious COVID-19 disease be offered an autumn booster dose “regardless of the number of booster doses previously received.”
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He says this should include people aged 65 and over, residents of long-term or residential care facilities and people aged 12 and over with an underlying illness that puts them at high risk for COVID- 19 hard.
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The NACI also recommended that reinforcements be “offered” to all other people between the ages of 12 and 64, regardless of how many doses of reinforcement they have previously received.
Some provinces and territories, such as Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and the Yukon have opened their eligibility for a second booster, which would be a fourth dose of the vaccine, to anyone over the age of 18 and 12, respectively, that you have waited a certain number of months since your last dose.
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But others, such as Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, offer only a second boost to those over 50 and those who are immunocompromised, as well as to First Nations, Inuit and Métis. .
Alberta and British Columbia, meanwhile, only allow the fourth dose for people over 70 and vulnerable populations.
Both BC Health Director Dr. Bonnie Henry and Ontario Senior Physician Dr. Kieran Moore said they are waiting to open up the availability of second reinforcements until more people in their provinces receive their first reinforcements. .
This has caused concern for those who are not yet eligible, many of whom have brought their suspicions to social media.
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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 conflicting messages from public health officials. about the same virus and vaccine depending on where you live.
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This non-uniform message at a time when the response to COVID-19 has been criticized by many who oppose vaccines and blockades may diminish public confidence in the system, says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a specialist in infectious diseases of Toronto General Hospital.
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“When you have several seemingly credible voices recommending different approaches, and when you have an orientation that sometimes contradicts what various experts say and when you have provinces with different policies, all of this causes more confusion from the general public and that generates distrust, “he said.
“I think that’s a major problem.”
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But as the virus changes and as the understanding of the world changes, the advice on how to respond to it will change and be different for people at different degrees of risk, Chagla said.
The flu vaccine, for example, has different doses for people depending on their age and risk factors, just like other vaccines, he noted.
When COVID-19 vaccines began to be rolled out, everyone needed them evenly, so the messages could be the same across Canada. Now, depending on a person’s previous vaccination status and personal risk factors, the advice could be different, Chagla said.
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“Now, we really have to focus, but with (public health) discussing transparently why it focuses on certain populations compared to others.”
The top priority is to ensure that anyone who has not yet received a third dose, a group that includes millions of Canadians across the country, is promoted, Bogoch said.
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For those who are younger, healthier and up to date with their vaccines, there may be some benefits to stopping the fourth dose, as some vaccine manufacturers have already sent new formulations that protect against Omicron variants to health regulators, he said. .
“I think people are frustrated because the system is not simple. This is a virus that we are learning every day,” Bogoch said.
“But, you know, we shouldn’t get frustrated if the message changes. Science is really being updated and finding out that certain groups benefit better from more vaccines than other groups where the benefits are less profound.”
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