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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.