'Lower down the priority list': Alberta lags far behind other provinces in booster uptake
Alberta's COVID-19 booster uptake is trailing the rest of the country, and immunity is waning for many with just one or two vaccines.
Only 37 per cent of Albertans have rolled up their sleeves for a third shot -- something experts believe could be problematic as another wave hits the country.
"Anybody who has had their dose more than four to six months ago has very little protection," public health physician Jia Hu told CTV News. "So they need to think of the importance."
Workers at Sage Plus Pharmacy in Inglewood say the disinterest has been noticeable.
"In January and February, we were fully booked every day, doing maybe two to three hundred (boosters) a week," owner Joyce Choi said. "Now, we're maybe doing 10 to 20 a week."
And the doses don't have unlimited shelf life.
"Throughout the week we're wasting maybe 50 percent or so," Choi said.
Health Canada says nearly 1.5 million vaccines have gone bad across the country this year, and tens of thousands more are set to join that tally next month.
There are reasons for the slow uptake.
"A lot of reasons," Hu said. "People view Omicron as being less serious than Delta, and I think a lot of people don't think the vaccine works as well preventing infection. It's a serious disease we need to be thinking about."
"A lot of people came by us and actually mentioned that they don't need their vaccines anymore because there's no more passport," Choi added.
About 1.6 million Albertans have three shots. 53,000 have four.
"It is more of a challenge, I think, and a big part of that really is just a lack of concern," Hu said. "Often when we use the word 'hesitancy,' I think it's often like, 'I don't trust this vaccine.' But I think from most people, it's just sort of lower down the priority list as opposed to there being way more anti-vax sentiment."
The premier says he thinks some of the current lag is coming from those who have recently caught the virus. NACI recommends they don't receive a shot for 90 days.
A new provincial campaign could act as a friendly reminder as their time runs down.
"Antibodies plus the vaccine is the most effective way," Premier Jason Kenney said. "The best way to ensure the worst is behind us is for people to stand up and get the third dose."
Part of the campaign's goal will be to reinforce basic messaging around effectiveness.
There should be no shortage of ways to do it.
Over the last four months, the unvaccinated were more than three times more likely to end up in hospital with COVID-19 than those who had all three shots.
Right now, only those above 70-years-old and any First Nations, Métis and Inuit people above 65 are eligible for a second booster.
Uptake there is also very low, but the province has yet to say when eligibility could expand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.