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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.