Alberta considering opening COVID-19 boosters sooner than six months: Copping
Global News
Health Minister Jason Copping said the province is in conversation with Dr. Deena Hinshaw on allowing COVID booster shots sooner than six months amid surging Omicron variant cases.
The day after the Alberta government announced “very modest” loosening of COVID-19-related gathering rules at the start of the holiday season, Health Minister Jason Copping says Alberta Health is watching developments around the Omicron variant “very carefully.”
“We know it can spread quite quickly, but there’s still questions to be answered in regards to the level of severity,” Copping told Global News. “But we also know that the safest path forward is vaccination and our focus is increasing vaccination through the boosters and an expanded rapid testing as well.”
On Wednesday, Albertans over 50 and all health-care workers were made eligible to get booster shots. Emerging science suggests boosters significantly improve resistance to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Copping said the age-gated approach to booster shots is based on matching the vaccine supply the province has and the six-month wait period advised by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
But that wait period could soon be shortened.
“We are also having a conversation with (chief medical officer of health) Dr. Hinshaw about today in terms of the efficacy of changing that rule from six months,” Copping said Thursday. “But really, at this point in time, we are matching our rollout to the supply that we have on hand and we are putting shots in arms as quickly as possible.”
Earlier Thursday, Opposition health critic David Shepherd called on the province to expand the booster shot program.
“Other provinces have found a way to do this, including right next door in Saskatchewan,” Shepherd said in a statement. “If our premier believes that Albertans must wait six months for their booster shots, it is incumbent on him to explain why our medical advice is so different from everywhere else.”