Ontario residents have been slow to receive a third dose of COVID vaccines, without achieving a ‘dramatic increase in protection’

Acceptance of COVID-19 boosters among eligible Ontarians is off to a slow start, especially for people who recently qualified for a third dose, despite the wide availability of the vaccines, according to new numbers provided. to the Star.

The slow pace to date has experts warning that while the initial two-dose vaccination regimen provides a good defense against serious illness, hospitalization and death, eligible individuals who have not yet booked a third dose are missing out on a “Dramatic increase in protection”. . “

“Our society is very open now and we have started to see cold weather, so daily COVID numbers are increasing,” said Dr. Peter Jüni, epidemiologist and scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board. . “And if we want to continue to benefit from the protection of the vaccine, we need that people who received their vaccines early, especially if they are exposed, elderly or immunosuppressed, receive their boosters now.

“There is a dramatic increase in protection against infection, which will not only have a positive impact on the prognosis of each person who is vaccinated, but will also, of course, contribute to protection at the population level if people have less likely to become infected and spread to other people. . “

Two weeks ago, Ontario opened eligibility for the third dose to approximately 2.75 million people, including all people age 70 and older; health workers and essential caregivers in collective settings; those who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine; as well as adults from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

That added to roughly 250,000 immunosuppressed individuals, transplant recipients, hematologic cancer patients, and older people living in congregated settings, such as First Nations long-term care homes, nursing homes and nursing homes, who are they became eligible at the end of August.

Of these three million people combined, only about 290,000 have received third doses, most of whom became eligible in August. It must be six months since your second dose before you can receive a third.

Phillip Anthony, East Toronto Mobile Vaccination Strategy Manager at Michael Garron Hospital, says decreased immunity has been seen in some populations, so “it’s important that we get the boost to maximize immunity and reduce immunity. infections “.

“Public health restrictions have been loosened as of late, so this is just another step (for) that we can make sure that we can still operate in the capacity that we have now while keeping each other safe,” Anthony said. .

As part of the strategy, the hospital is offering booster doses at its outreach centers and is running mobile TTC clinics with community partners and paramedics to deliver vaccines in high-risk neighborhoods. Teams are also visiting senior care settings to administer both COVID booster shots and flu shots at the same time.

“When you work mobile and go door-to-door, it obviously takes a little longer than taking people through a mass immunization clinic,” Anthony added. “More important is the precision of making sure that the people who are most at risk receive their reinforcements through that mobile clinic.”

Gina Patricio, who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the spring, received her booster last Thursday. She encourages everyone who is eligible to do the same.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked. “Compared to other places, we are very, very lucky, and I don’t understand why people don’t take advantage of that situation.”

Patricio, 60, was “pleasantly surprised” at how easy it was to get his third dose, and got an appointment “right away” at a nearly empty clinic near his home in North York after calling provincial reserve hotline.

His 80-year-old parents are going to find his backup on Friday. At the same time, he has very close people who do not get vaccinated.

“But I can’t force anyone to do anything. I can only encourage those who want to take it to do so, to make that appointment and to take care of themselves ”.

Health Ministry spokesman Bill Campbell said in an emailed statement that the province “continues to work with all channels within Ontario, including public health units, pharmacies and primary care offices, to vaccinate to as many Ontario residents as possible. “

More than 22.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered and more than 85% of the population 12 years and older have received two doses.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration. boosters authorized for all adults, Friday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, The chief medical adviser of the White House, argues that reinforcements are needed for everyone to control the pandemic, targeting the emerging Israel data.

A large Israeli study using mass vaccination data, published in late October in the medical journal. the lancet, looked at the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine after two doses compared to after a third dose at least five months later. It found that the third dose, compared to just two, reduced the risk of hospitalization by 93 percent, reduced the risk of serious illness by 92 percent, and reduced the risk of COVID-related death by 81 percent.

“Keep in mind that we are already well protected against serious illness after the second dose,” Jüni noted.

“But the added protection you see is really dramatic,” he said, referring to the Israeli study’s findings.

In Canada, the Pfizer vaccine is expected to be approved for children ages five to 11 on Friday.

Jüni urged people eligible for boosters to leave now, to avoid the possibility of having to wait later when young children are getting their first injections and more adults qualify for the third dose.

Ontario says eligibility for the third doses will expand in the coming months. But some think that is not soon enough.

Ottawa family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth believes that boosters should be offered to all adults who are six months past their second dose, now that Health Canada has ruled that this is safe.

“We are approaching the holidays, we have people who are going to meet and we have people who are going to travel,” he said. “There is no shortage of vaccines, so why wouldn’t we give them to patients who are about to turn six months?”

In Ontario, booster shots are currently available to eligible individuals at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Appointments can be made through the provincial reserve site or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

For now, Patricio is happy to take a step that will better protect her.

“If I get sick, the chances of me landing in the ICU are less if I get the vaccinations and the booster,” he said.

“I don’t want to die. I have things to do “.