Medical officer of health urges vaccination under high viral risk
CBC
With most signs pointing to high rates of respiratory viruses in Ottawa, Ottawa's medical officer of health is urging older adults to get their updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
The most recent Ottawa Public Health (OPH) figures from Dec. 2, flu signals have been rising to match similarly high trends for COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The next update is expected Wednesday.
While it takes about two weeks for vaccines to take their full effect, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said it's not too late to get caught up before holiday gatherings.
"It's definitely worth it," Etches said.
There are more COVID patients in hospital than this time last year. The seven-day average for hospitalizations last week was 71, compared to 49 one year ago.
More than 70 per cent of them are 60 or older.
"Last year, we actually didn't have the same level of COVID in our wastewater, hospitalizations were lower, vaccinations were higher," Etches said.
"[This year] more people are gathering, fewer people are wearing masks. There are many variables, but given our current context, it is clear that more vaccination of older adults would help."
According to an OPH update on Monday, only 20 per cent of residents over six months old have received a dose of a COVID vaccine in the past six months.
If you look at the roughly three months since the updated COVID vaccine first became available, the only age groups with more than 50 per cent coverage are people in their 70s and people age 80 and older.
These figures don't account for immunity from a recent infection. How long to wait between an infection and vaccination varies from eight weeks to six months depending on people's circumstances.
Even if someone isn't certain whether they've developed that immunity, Etches said there's no harm from them getting the shot.
Pharmacies account for nearly 70 per cent of vaccine doses administered in the city, according to Etches.
Jordan Clark, a pharmacist and owner of two Shoppers Drug Mart locations, said this year's vaccination campaign hasn't been met with the same level of urgency, but he said that could soon change.