Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Long-term care residents need boosters: NACI

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Sep, 2021 03:32 PM
  • Long-term care residents need boosters: NACI

OTTAWA - The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is urging long-term care homes to give boosters to residents immediately, as the Delta variant breaks out in facilities across the country.

The new guidance was released Tuesday after the committee reviewed evidence about waning immunity from the vaccines, the latest safety data and the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

The committee recommends long-term care residents and people living in seniors' homes receive another shot of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine — like Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna — as long as it has been six months since their last shot.

A booster dose of a viral vector vaccine like Oxford-AstraZeneca is only recommended when Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are unavailable or the person can't have an mRNA vaccine for medical reasons.

"At this time, boosters are not necessary for most of the population, but we want to be sure to address early signs of waning among seniors residing in these settings where shared and close living spaces increase the risk of exposure," chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam wrote in a statement.

NACI says there are signs that vaccine protection might not last as long for seniors in congregate settings like long-term care as it does for other populations in Canada.

Canadian studies have suggested that even though people in long-term care had a good initial antibody response to two doses of vaccine, the majority of residents did not have a detectable level of antibodies against the Delta variant six months later.

"While the vaccines initially worked very well to protect this group, we are starting to see signs of outbreaks again in long-term care settings and we are looking to prevent the level of severe outcomes this population experienced early in the pandemic," NACI chair Dr. Shelley Deeks wrote in a statement.

Right now, 260 long-term care and retirement homes are battling active outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canada, according to a tracker developed by the National Institute on Aging.

That's up from just 201 long-term care outbreaks last week.

Half of those outbreaks are happening in Alberta, which is dealing with a spiralling health crisis during the latest wave of the pandemic.

Long-term care has borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, where aging residents and congregate living proved to be a tragic combination.

About 69 per cent of Canada's total pandemic-related deaths happened in long-term care homes as of February 2021, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The new advice comes weeks after provinces like Ontario announced they would extend third-dose eligibility to long-term care residents.

Saskatchewan, Alberta, and most recently, Quebec are also offering boosters to residents in care homes, while Manitoba has extended third doses to long-term care residents in First Nations.

NACI has previously recommended boosters for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, as evidence shows some immunocompromised people have a lower immune response to COVID-19 vaccines compared to others.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Stroll in Stanley Park ends with coyote bite

Stroll in Stanley Park ends with coyote bite
The province's Conservation Officer Service says in a social media post that a man walking on a trail near the southwest side of the park was nipped on the leg Tuesday night.    

Stroll in Stanley Park ends with coyote bite

Wildfire crews take advantage of cool weather

Wildfire crews take advantage of cool weather
Data from the Ministry of Forests and Emergency Management BC show 291 wildfires were blazing in the province late Wednesday and more than 8,500 square kilometres of land has been lost since the start of the fire season on April 1.

Wildfire crews take advantage of cool weather

Police appeal for witnesses and dash cam video following serious collision

Police appeal for witnesses and dash cam video following serious collision
On August 13, 2021 at 4:43 pm, Surrey RCMP officers came upon a two-vehicle collision between a black Dodge Charger and a Ducati motorcyle at the intersection of 70A Avenue and King George Boulevard. The driver of the motorcycle was taken to the hospital with a life-altering injury.

Police appeal for witnesses and dash cam video following serious collision

VPD investigates after girls groped near False Creek

VPD investigates after girls groped near False Creek
“These girls were all near the seawall when a stranger on a bike grabbed them from behind and sexually assaulted them,” says Sergeant Steve Addison, VPD. “Each victim did the right thing by telling a trusted adult and reporting the incidents to police so an investigation could be launched immediately.”

VPD investigates after girls groped near False Creek

553 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

553 COVID19 cases for Wednesday
82.8% (3,837,946) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 73.8% (3,419,832) received their second dose.

553 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

Election focus shifts to high inflation

Election focus shifts to high inflation
 The country's headline inflation barometer clocked in at 3.7 per cent in July, which Statistics Canada said was the highest year-over-year increase since May 2011 as price growth accelerated from June.

Election focus shifts to high inflation