More than a million eligible Albertans remain unvaccinated as first dose uptake slows
More than 1.1 million eligible Albertans are unvaccinated against COVID-19 and appointments to receive the first dose have slowed. Just 4,200 people received their first shot on Tuesday.
The province reached its 70 per cent benchmark last week, meaning the province will move to Stage 3 of its reopening on July 1, but the first dose percentage has barely moved since then. It still sits just under 71 per cent.
"I think it's somewhat predictable," said Dr. Stephanie Smith, an infectious disease physician with the University of Alberta.
"We knew there'd be a certain portion of people who either didn't want to get the vaccination because of concerns about safety or those kinds of things or they didn't feel that it's necessary."
While predictable, Dr. Smith said the slowed rate isn't ideal. Alberta's first current first dose rate of 70.9 per cent only represents people eligible to get the shot -- it doesn't include the population under 12 years old.
Just 60 per cent of Alberta's total population has at least one shot to protect them from the virus.
"Generally when we look at a virus where the transmissibility is where it's at right now in terms of the Delta variant, definitely over 70 per cent would be necessary to really stop the spread. And that's over 70 per cent of the whole population," Dr. Smith said.
About 427,000 Albertans need first doses to reach 70 per cent of the province's total population.
DIVIDE BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN RATES
One of the major hurdles for public health officials is providing vaccine access for those who want the shot, especially in rural communities.
While Calgary and Edmonton both have vaccine rates over 73 per cent, many rural communities are much lower than that.
High Level, in the northwest part of the province, only has 19 per cent of its eligible population with at least one dose.
"It is a massive, massive geographical area with a fairly small population," said Tony Nickonchuk, a pharmacist in Peace River who closely monitors vaccine rates among rural populations.
"So these are sparsely populated areas, often with not a lot of access to vaccine sites."
Vaccine sites can be several hours away for some rural residents, Nickonchuk said, and some may not feel getting the shot is a priority.
The premier says his government is constantly working on ways to make vaccine access more convenient for those who want it. Jason Kenney says Alberta was once moving forward in its vaccine rate miles at a time, but we're now just inching along.
Still, he'd like to gradually see a higher percentage of the eligible population get their shot.
"I'm hoping 75 per cent," said Kenney.
"At the end of the day, we're not going to force people to get vaccinated. It's their choice."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.