November 22, 2024 23:19 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Centre to send over 10,000 additional soldiers to violence-hit Manipur amid fresh violence | Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Sukma | Baba Siddique murder case: Arrested Akashdeep Gill used a labourer's hotspot to evade tracking, say police | Donald Trump picks 'smart and tough' Pam Bondi as new US Attorney General after Matt Gaetz withdraws | Canadian government denies media report that claims PM Modi knew of Khalistani leader Nijjar's killing
Canadians to hold off on getting another COVID booster for now:Experts recommend
Canada
Image Credit: Pixabay

Canadians to hold off on getting another COVID booster for now:Experts recommend

| @indiablooms | 05 Apr 2023, 11:04 pm

Toronto/IBNS: Canadian health officials are echoing the message of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) to no longer recommend follow-up of COVID-19 boosters for people with a medium or low risk of developing severe illness from the virus.

“Updated to reflect that much of the population is either vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19, or both, the revised roadmap re-emphasizes the importance of vaccinating those still at risk of severe disease," SAGE chair Dr. Hanna Nohynek said in a media release issued March 28.

“Countries should consider their specific context, not compromising the routine vaccines, that are so crucial for the health and well-being of this age group.”

Three priority-use groups for COVID-19 vaccination – high, medium, and low have been defined by SAGE based on a balance of cost-effectiveness and risk of severe disease or death.

The high-priority group includes seniors, younger adults with significant comorbidities such as diabetes and heart disease, adults and children older than six months with immunocompromising conditions, pregnant people and front-line healthcare workers.

The new SAGE guidance, says Canadian immunologist Matthew Tunis, is similar to spring booster recommendations the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) made several weeks earlier.

NACI recommends booster shots for high-risk Canadians this spring even if they were boosted in the fall

Included in this group are all adults 80 years of age and older; adults 65 to 79 years old, especially if they have never been infected with COVID-19; adults living in long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors or those with complex medical care needs; and people over 18 who are moderate to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition or ongoing treatment.

Healthy, fully vaccinated individuals who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine booster can skip the spring vaccination campaign.

Those who have received a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine but haven’t received their first booster dose should get boosted as soon as possible.

COVID-19 boosters for the general population are still being decided by the committee to determine whether these should be rolled out as a seasonal, annual or as-needed program in the future.

Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths within Canada have stabilized for now, in spite of highly contagious Omicron sub-variants continuing to spread.

During a federal COVID-19 update on March 10, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the virus has reached a relatively steady state in Canada.

“While uncertainty remains about the seasonal patterns for COVID-19, the current trend suggests we may not see any major waves in the coming months as we prepare for a potential fall and winter surge,” Tam said. “Together with international partners, we will also continue to monitor the situation closely.”

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
Xi Jinping, Putin in Russia 22 Mar 2023, 02:56 pm
Related Videos