Demand for first dose of COVID-19 vaccine slows in Alberta
Alberta is falling behind the rest of the country when it comes to administering the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The province ranks 11th amongst the 13 provinces and territories when it comes to the percentage of the eligible population who have received the first dose.
"We’ve been riding a wave of confidence," said Dr. Cora Constantinescu, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. "We’ve seen a lot of people come forward a lot of people wanting to get vaccinated across Canada.
"We are however seeing a bit of a slowdown on that first wave uptake.'
Right now, roughly 66.98 percent of Albertans 12 years of age or older have received the first shot, according to data from Alberta Health.
"The question is, is this enough?," explained Constantinescu. "It’s enough to get us past the third wave but not enough to provide us that long term protection and not enough to provide us variant protection.
"It’s enough to give us a good summer, but not enough to actually end this."
Constantinescu said public health campaigns are needed now more than ever to reach vaccine hesitant people.
The infectious disease specialist said it's hard to know exactly what the magical number will be to achieve herd immunity for overall community protection. She said second doses are crucial for increased protection.
"It depends how many people get the dose but then also how many people complete this series. That’s really important because that we know is much more protective against variants and that affects how long the immunity lasts which also plays into herd immunity."
She said there is strong evidence to show two doses protect against variants, but there are still unknowns. Constantinescu said no Albertan should be left behind in the vaccine rollout.
"The question is what happens if a new variant comes and it spreads and it spreads among those people who are unvaccinated first? Or if the virus spreads more within those people who are unvaccinated, it has the potential to have more mutations, the potential to have more variants and what will that mean for the rest of us?"
The province is counting on 70 per cent of eligible Albertans receiving their first dose to enter stage three of the reopening plan, lifting all restrictions.
A three-day immunization blitz at the TELUS Convention Centre immunization site is underway and will continue through Thursday.
AHS said only 200 of a possible 2,000 doses were administered at the site Tuesday.
The clinic will offer 2,000 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to eligible recipients who don't have an appointment on each day of the blitz. The clinic is open from 8:20 a.m. to 7:20 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.