Health officials advise Canadians to receive a booster shot
Key takeaways:
- Because the virus has resurfaced in Canada, health officials have advised that Canadians obtain the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
- According to the most recent weekly report from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the country registered over 6,000 instances each day, up roughly 30% from the previous comparable period.
Due to a return of the virus in Canada, health officials recommended Canadians get the third dosage of the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
While adults previously had the option of receiving booster shots, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released updated instruction from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on Tuesday, stating that all eligible adults "should" receive the third dose after the primary series of two jabs.
According to the report, boosters should also be supplied to all adolescents from 12 to 17 years old. It had only advised the third dose for the immunocompromised in the similar age bracket in its previous advice from December last year.
The booster should be provided at least 6 months after the first vaccine series.
On Tuesday, Canada's senior public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, informed reporters that the country was "in the midst of the sixth wave in Canada."
"Because our immune systems become less capable of providing robust protection as we age, I would encourage all patients aged 50 and older to have a first booster dose and a second booster dose if recommended," Tam said in a statement.
Currently, the second booster is only available to vulnerable groups such as those over the age of 70.
According to the PHAC's most recent weekly report, the country was logging around 6,000 cases every day, up nearly 30% from the previous equivalent time.
The Omicron form of the coronavirus and its BA.2 subvariant have been blamed for the recent increase in cases.
In a statement, NACI vice-chair Dr. Robyn Harrison said, "Evidence continues to grow better about the benefit of a Covid-19 booster dose for all adults, as well as even for adolescents, particularly with variants of concern."
So far, little over 57% of the eligible population has received a booster shot.