The new bivalent vaccine against COVID-19 is available in Peterborough now as a booster shot.
At least 200 local residents from high-risk groups have already had the shot. Everyone 18 and older will become eligible to book an appointment for it as of Sept. 26.
On Thursday afternoon, medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott went live on Instagram to answer questions from citizens about the new vaccine.
Here are some highlights:
Q: What is a bivalent vaccine anyway? What does the word ‘bivalent’ even mean?
A: “It means it (the vaccine) has got two strains of COVID-19 protection in it,” Piggott said.
He said it protects against the original strain that began circulating in December 2019 (same as the vaccine we’ve had for the last 18 months), and it also protects against the Omicron variant BA. 1.
“In creating the protection against both, the anticipation is that it will be more effective and helpful in preventing infection.”
Q: So does that mean this vaccine will offer nearly absolute protection against infection?
A: Piggott said that isn’t exactly clear, yet.
When the first (monovalent) vaccines came out in January 2021, he said, studies showed them to reduce infection by about 95 per cent.
But that was when only the original strain of COVID-19 was circulating — no variants, yet.
“When some of the variants started emerging, they started escaping your immune system — and even with vaccination, there could be a spread of infection. There was a reduction (in infection), but it was much smaller: maybe about 20 to 30 per cent, instead of that 95 per cent,” Dr. Piggott said.
He added that scientists anticipate this new bivalent vaccine “will still be very effective” in protecting people against severe disease and death from COVID-19, but it’s unknown yet whether it will reduce infection by 95 per cent.
Q: Is the bivalent vaccine safe?
A: Yes, said Piggott.
“The safety is very much the same as with the monovalent vaccine, which is now known to be safe: More than 10 billion doses given worldwide. With this vaccine, we are confident that COVID-19 vaccines are safe,” he said.
Q:Can you get the bivalent vaccine in Peterborough yet?
A: Yes, Piggott said it’s been it’s been offered all week by Peterborough Public Health (about 200 local people had received it by Wednesday).
As of this week you were eligible to make an appointment if you are:
70 years of age or older (born in 1952 or before)
A First Nations, Inuit, or Métis adult (18-plus) or a household member (18-plus) of someone fitting that criteria
A health-care provider (18-plus)
Pregnant (18-plus)
Living in long-term care, a congregate setting, a retirement home or elder care lodge
Immunocompromised (12-plus)
Starting Sept. 26, you will be eligible to receive a bivalent vaccine locally if you live in the Peterborough area and you are 18 or older.
Q: How soon after my last booster can I book my bivalent vaccine?
A: Piggott said the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends waiting six months after the last booster shot before receiving the new bivalent booster.
“And that’s because there’s good evidence that protection (from your previous booster) should last six months,” he said.
“If it’s been more than six months since your third of fourth dose, then you should come forward for an additional booster this fall. And that will most likely be a bivalent vaccine.”
However, he also said it is possible to receive a bivalent booster sooner: the provincial government will allow it 84 days following your last booster.
Piggott said that if you have medical risk factors, for example — or you live with someone who does — you may want to speak to your health-care provider about shortening the time between a booster and a bivalent vaccine.
However that won’t be for everyone.
“Generally I still support the recommendation that NACI has, that the six-month time period is probably the right point to get a booster,” Piggott said.
Q:What if it’s been six months since my last booster but I’ve had COVID-19 lately? Should I book a bivalent booster now?
A: Wait a bit.
“The recommendation is to wait three months or more” after a COVID-19 infection before getting this bivalent booster,” Piggott said.
He said that’s because people are “less likely” to experience a recurrence of COVID-19 within three months of an infection.
Piggott also said that waiting awhile can offer the best protection possible from the vaccine.
“Waiting that three months is going to mean you’ll have a stronger immune response from the vaccine — and the protection will last longer,” he said.
Q: Can I get both an influenza vaccine and a bivalent COVID-19 booster this fall?
A: Yes, although Piggott said it’s best to wait two weeks after receiving one vaccine before receiving the other.
He also said influenza could resurge this season in Peterborough.
“Flu is likely going to make a significant comeback — so make sure you get your flu vaccine when it’s available, which will be later this fall.”
People can book appointments online at book appointments online at covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. Participating local pharmacies also offer doses by appointment.
The health unit’s vaccine clinic is located on the lower level of Peterborough Square. The health unit requires mask to be worn at the clinic. Walk-ins are not being accepted for now.
There is a clinic for people 12 and older on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pediatric doses are only available next week locally from local pharmacies or health-care providers.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
