Some Alberta teachers keeping a close eye on vaccination, COVID-19 rates
Some post secondary teachers say they'll be watching vaccination rates and an increase in COVID-19 cases closely as students return to class in just over a month.
Alberta has seen exponential growth in cases over the last week, and certain age groups are still lagging behind when it comes to immunization.
One of those groups primarily makes up post secondary students.
As of Friday, Albertans aged 20 to 29 are only about 44 per cent vaccinated.
They also make up a large number of the active virus cases in the province.
"When about half the group is not vaccinated, it's very easy for the virus to find its next host and move quickly through a classroom," Craig Jenne said.
Jenne is with the University of Calgary's Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases.
Come September, he'll be holding lectures to 150 students at a time.
"In my class we could have 75 or 80 people not vaccinated when we start up," Jenne told CTV News. "It's basically the ideal environment for a virus to move around."
Jenne has both of his shots and says he knows of many students who do too. The provincial data of vaccination rates in university and college students isn't available.
COVID-19 numbers over the weekend show the virus isn't gone yet.
Almost 400 cases were announced over the three day period -- and some believe the stats may have been helped along by the Calgary Stampede, which wrapped up July 18.
More than 60 per cent of Alberta's active cases are in the Calgary health zone.
But amongst the upwards trend, there is a lot of good news.
Hospitalizations and deaths have either steadied or are declining. Experts say it's proof that vaccines are working.
Jenne believes it's reason for optimism on the pandemic front.
"It's something we have to keep our eye on, but it's not something that should be all consuming at this point," he said. "The virus will continue to spread if we gather in large groups indoors, so if we can get outside and physically distance, there's no reason not to get out and enjoy summer."
Experts largely believe herd immunity can be reached if vaccination numbers approach 85 per cent.
As of Monday, fewer than 76 per cent of all eligible Albertans have been immunized.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
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.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
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.
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.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'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.
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.
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.