Unvaccinated Albertans are majority of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths: Hinshaw
Alberta's top doctor says the majority of the province's new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated or within two weeks of their first shot.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who is Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said in a social media post that 96 per cent of Albertans who have tested positive for the virus since Jan. 1 hadn't had two doses of vaccine.
She said 91 per cent of COVID-19 deaths and 95 per cent of hospital and intensive care unit admissions followed the same trend in the past month.
On Thursday, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube similarly said on Twitter that 95 per cent of people who tested positive for COVID-19 last week and those who were hospitalized were not adequately vaccinated.
Dr. Craig Jenne, an infectious disease expert at the University of Calgary, said Alberta is making good progress in combating COVID-19 but risks remain.
“We do still have almost a third of Albertans with no protection and that does pose a risk,” said Jenne.
“It doesn't mean we're going to have a problem. But this is very much like a dry forest. And there is a forest fire risk that if we do get an uptick, it can spread fast and far with low vaccine rates.”
Jenne said Alberta has one of the lowest rates of vaccination in the country, despite previously leading the way.
Nearly 75 per cent of eligible Albertans have received at least one dose, while more than 60 per cent are fully vaccinated. By comparison, Ontario is nearing 80 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively.
For effective herd immunity, Jenne said more than 80 per cent of the total population needs to be fully vaccinated. Otherwise, he said Alberta could see a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
“We will not be able to achieve herd immunity, which is a powerful aspect of public health due to vaccination, unless some of these vaccine hesitant people do get vaccinated,” he said.
Jenne encouraged those who are unsure about the vaccines to talk to health-care professionals.
Hinshaw said the two mRNA vaccines - Moderna and Pfizer - are performing slightly better than AstraZeneca in protecting against symptomatic infection, but all have been effective in combating severe outcomes.
With the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, she said one dose of vaccine is 57 per cent effective and two doses are 85 per cent effective.
Hinshaw said two doses of vaccine have also proven 91 per cent effective against the Alpha variant, first identified in the United Kingdom.
“This latest information is encouraging and underscores again the importance of getting fully vaccinated as soon as you can,” Hinshaw said in a Twitter post.
Alberta Health's website shows more than 5,128,000 vaccine doses have been administered in the province, as of Wednesday.
On Thursday, Premier Jason Kenney said 90 per cent of those most vulnerable to COVID over the age of 65 are fully vaccinated.
He said the threat of COVID overwhelming the health system has been sharply curtailed.
“We can move forward with confidence,” Kenney said Thursday during a news conference in Camrose.
“The virus will continue to circulate. Numbers will go up and they'll go down, but what matters most is that the widespread protective effect of vaccines is real.”
Alberta reported 106 new cases of COVID Thursday, bringing the active case count to 676. There are 93 Albertans currently in hospital, with 26 of those patients in intensive care.
The provincial death toll now sits at 2,320 after two additional deaths were reported.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 22, 2021
With files from Dean Bennett in Edmonton
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleads guilty in sports betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud Wednesday in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole US$16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.