Vaccinated hospital patients outpace the unvaccinated, but it doesn't mean the shots don't work: experts
Numbers showing the majority of Alberta's COVID-19 hospital admissions are in vaccinated individuals don't tell the entire story, regardless of what some conspiracy theorists believe.
Albertans with at least one shot took over more hospital beds than those without this week.
But the raw numbers are incomplete, and a dive into the data shows being vaccinated may be more important now than ever before.
As of Thursday, 217 unvaccinated Albertans were in hospital with COVID-19, compared to 282 patients with at least one shot.
But almost 90 per cent of the province has one dose, which means the "rate per 100,000 people" is a more telling metric to measure admissions.
By that standard, about 24 unvaccinated people per 100,000 are in an Alberta hospital.
That rate drops to fewer than eight after just one shot.
"You can reduce your risk of an unpleasant, severe or deadly illness by at least three-quarters and up to 90 per cent if you get vaccinated," Dr. Lynora Saxinger told CTV News.
But the vaccines aren't completely flawless.
More than other variants, Omicron can still infect immunized populations.
That's where severity comes into play.
"The fact that (Omicron) is rip-roaring through the population means that it might not be reasonable to expect that people will not get infected with it, but the severity really does count an awful lot in your life experience and also in the effect on the healthcare system," Saxinger said. "Although these vaccines are a little bit leaky in terms of preventing transmission, they do reduce it. People who have been vaccinated carry less virus for a shorter time and transmit less.
"They are not perfect, but unfortunately we don't have the option of perfect."
Unvaccinated ICU patients with COVID-19 far outnumber those who are vaccinated.
The former tallied 47 in Alberta Thursday. The latter, 18.
The numbers are just as imbalanced using proper metrics: 5.2 unvaccinated people per 100,000 are in the ICU. That rate drops to 0.4 with two doses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada less than halfway to Afghan resettlement goal one year after Taliban takeover
A year after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Canada's resettlement efforts have lagged behind official targets and the efforts to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine. More than 17,300 Afghans have arrived in Canada since last August compared to 71,800 Ukrainians who have come to Canada in 2022 alone.

British regulator 1st in world to OK Moderna's updated COVID booster
British drug regulators have become the first in the world to authorize an updated version of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine that aims to protect against the original virus and the omicron variant.
Anne Heche taken off life support, 9 days after car crash
Anne Heche, the Emmy-winning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with personal chapters of turmoil, died of injuries from a fiery car crash. She was 53.
China announces new drills as U.S. delegation visits Taiwan
China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island's president met with members of a new U.S. congressional delegation on Monday, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China.
Afghanistan marks 1 year since Taliban seizure as woes mount
The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital of Kabul, a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation's Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country.
Iran denies involvement but justifies Salman Rushdie attack
An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie, though he justified the stabbing in remarks that represented the Islamic Republic's first public comments on the attack.
About 4,000 beagles destined for drug experiments finding new homes
About 4,000 beagles are looking for homes after animal rescue organizations started removing them from a Virginia facility that bred them to be sold to laboratories for drug experiments.
Brothers dead after SUV crashes into North Carolina restaurant, police say
A sport utility vehicle crashed into a North Carolina fast-food restaurant on Sunday, killing two sibling customers, police said.
Why has polio been found in London, New York and Jerusalem, and how dangerous is it?
Polio, a deadly disease that used to paralyze tens of thousands of children every year, is spreading in London, New York and Jerusalem for the first time in decades, spurring catch-up vaccination campaigns.