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Epidemics

Provinces Offer Fourth Vaccine Doses to Vulnerable Citizens as COVID-19 Cases Rise

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Ontario and British Columbia are moving to provide fourth vaccine doses to their oldest and most vulnerable citizens, in response to a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country. The announcements were made on Tuesday, hours after recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) called for the rapid deployment of a second booster dose for adults 80 and older, as well as long-term care residents. Ontario's plan goes further than NACI's recommendations, offering fourth doses to residents aged 60 and older, while British Columbia is rolling out fourth doses for seniors over 70 and residents at long-term care and assisted-living facilities.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that the province will offer fourth vaccine doses to residents aged 60 and older, in addition to long-term care and retirement home residents, and those who are immunocompromised.
  • British Columbia will roll out fourth doses for seniors over 70 and residents at long-term care and assisted-living facilities, as well as Indigenous people aged 55 and older and those considered clinically extremely vulnerable.
  • NACI recommended a six-month gap between booster doses, but Ontario does not appear to be adhering to this timeline.
  • COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ontario have increased by 38% from last week, surpassing 1,000 patients for the first time since February 26.
  • British Columbia has started to see a slight uptick in levels of COVID-19 in wastewater surveillance in the past one to two weeks, attributed to the increase of more infections by the transmissible BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.
  • Caroline Colijn, an infectious disease modeller, stated that providing a fourth dose to the oldest and most immunocompromised people is a vital policy as provinces confront a sixth wave of infections spurred on by the BA.2 variant.
  • Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, said about 50% of B.C.'s population has developed antibodies to the virus through vaccination or infection, but only about 60% of people aged 18 and over have received their third dose.
  • Dr. Colijn suspects that a third of eligible adults still haven't sought out a third dose because they are delaying their booster after catching COVID-19 this winter.

Statistics:

  • Ontario reported 1,091 people in hospital on Tuesday, surpassing 1,000 patients for the first time since February 26.
  • COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ontario have increased by 38% from last week.
  • British Columbia reported 334 COVID-19 patients were in hospital as of Tuesday, up from 274 on Friday.
  • 70-75% of B.C.'s current cases are attributed to the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.
  • About 50% of B.C.'s population has developed antibodies to the virus through vaccination or infection.
  • Only about 60% of people aged 18 and over in B.C. have received their third dose.

Sources:

  • The Canadian Press
  • Dustin Cook, The Canadian Press
  • XIAO XU, MIKE HAGER, DUSTIN COOK

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