COVID-19 booster uptake lags for all eligible age groups
Canada’s top doctor is urging people to get their booster shots as COVID-19 activity continues to fluctuate in the country
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, emphasized that many Canadians who are eligible for a booster dose haven’t gotten it yet
We still have a ways to go, even for the 65-plus population
Tam said on Friday
According to federal data , most people aged 12 years and older have completed their primary series, but the number of Canadians eligible for a booster dose who received one in the past six months drops considerably for most eligible age groups
Bivalent boosters were made available last fall, but many Canadians have yet to get a bivalent shot. Federal data shows that for the 60 to 69 age group, about 46 per cent have received a booster dose in the last six months
On Friday, Tam emphasized the importance of getting a booster
Like the winter weather, it can be difficult to predict exactly what we’re going to see next, but we do know it’s too early to put away our winter coats and boots
she said
Similarly, it’s still too early to stop taking the personal protective measures that have helped us weather the COVID storm
XBB.1.5 cases expected to increase
Tam says officials are seeing an increase in the number of cases of the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant
XBB.1.5 was circulating at around 2.5 per cent during the week of Dec. 25 until Jan. 2
This proportion was expected to rise to approximately seven per cent by mid-January, Tam said
But, she says, the absolute number of COVID-19 cases is not surgingnor is there evidence of increased severity with this or other new variants
In updated guidance for booster doses, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) says the evolutionary trajectory of SARSCoV-2, including the emergence of novel variants of concern, is still uncertain
and the seasonality of SARS-CoV-2 has not been established
RSV, flu cases have ‘settled’
As COVID-19 cases continue to fluctuate, Tam says the number of flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases are winding down in the country, and have settled into expected seasonal levels
But it doesn’t mean the flu season is over
Pharmacies are now reporting shortages of adult’s cold and flu medications , after a shortage of children’s pain medications seen across the country
Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Friday some 1.1 million bottles of children’s medications will be available in pharmacies sometime this month
CBC News
