While Canadians raced to get vaccinated against COVID-19 early in the pandemic, only 15 per cent of the population had their updated shot this fall. But the virus is still spreading.
I only got the invitation in November or so, checked the appt. dates near me and they all sucked - far away or during work. I checked again couple of weeks ago and they had way more slots so I managed to get one close by on a weekend, but I could easily see someone not bothering due to the lack of availability.
Can’t you just go into a Shoppers and get one? That’s what I did. Just a walk-in back in the first week of November
Yes you can. I got a same day appointment at the Rexall near my home.
At least in MB, appointments were still required last time I checked.
Weird. I live in Ottawa and it was literally just walking into my local SDM. I got it and my annual flu shot at the same time.
Sadly unsurprising that this sort of thing is not consistent across the country.
Alberta here. I had no problem walking in to the local pharmacy and getting my COVID booster and flu shot.
Of course, my province probably has the lowest vaccination rate in the country so there is that.
I was in the same situation as you, but on the Monday before being able to get my shot, I got the 'vid.
So, no shot for me this time around.
To be fair, it’s kind of challenging when you’re supposed to wait six months following your last COVID infection…
I thought it was 3 months for infection and 6 for last shot?
In Saskatchewan you should wait 6 months, but it needs to be at least 3 months.
I’m sure it varies across jurisdictions, but I copied and pasted it from the MB website.
Wait, 6 months?? I never heard about that
That’s what they’re saying in my province, at any rate:
Beginning in the fall of 2023 for those previously vaccinated against COVID-19, individuals aged 6 months and older are recommended to receive one dose of the new XBB.1.5 formulation of COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least 6 months from the previous COVID-19 vaccine dose or known SARS-CoV-2 infection (which ever is later).
Holy hell, that’s low. It only cracks 10% uptake at the age 50+ bucket. No wonder I’m hearing about so many people getting COVID this fall.
Only 4% uptake in school-attending ages is ridiculous. Schools are cesspools of disease at the best of times.
Is it? you’re probably talking 4th or 5th dose at this point. Are many countries really still doing comprehensive booster programmes for all ages?
In my country - for this flu season - the only under 65s who get a booster covid vaccination are those with specific health issues or care workers.
Even looking at a country like Germany that typically have much better health service, it looks like they’re limiting the additional annual boosters to mostly over 60s plus special cases at younger ages.
I’d be more worried abut the low uptake in the elderly groups - did they get no booster at all, or did they just not get the xbb 1.5 specifically?
I think there was a bit of a rush and supply chain issues in September with the new variant.We’re at about 68% for over-65s this season as a point of comparison - so that looks way higher than canadian old people as reported in that article.
In much of Canada flu shots are provided for free annually. So ya it’s typical for us to have comprehensive booster programs for all ages.
I imagine regular COVID boosters will continue until COVID is integrated into the standard flu vaccine.
Don’t forget that COVID is still killing significantly more people annually than typical influenza.
In BC, flu shots have historically only been free for those with health issues, those who live with them, and I guess the elderly probably. BC always left working ages adults with no recorded health issues out to dry as far as I can tell.
Edit: HISTORICALLY guys!
There is no way this is true. See https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/immunizations/flu
There is no way this is true NOW.
When I grew up in the 90s this was the case, I lived in a household with a chronically ill parent and was told this by healthcare providers. That’s why I used the word historically, but obviously I should have been more clear.
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The new vaccine for currently-spreading variants have only been available for ~3 months.
It’s not like the MMR vaccine where you’re done for decades after the primary sequence; you need a current vaccine to match current strains. It’s more like a flu shot.
I wonder how that compares to flu shots.
We got both ours done at once
Ya, that was my first thought. I wonder how it compares to flu shot and how flu shot compares to previous years.
Over the past two decades, flu shots have had a 25-40% uptake rate per year (source). It’s amazing that covid boosters are so much lower than this, though if people were recently infected or vaccinated, then maybe they aren’t allowed to get vaccinated with the booster designed for the xbb station yet.
I got a covid shot but didn’t bother with flu. My very uneducated point of view was that flu doesn’t have any serious long term effects and I had heard a few people say the vaccine took them out for a few days, so why bother? As I say though, uneducated on it, anyone think I should?
Flu can have long term effects. Even if you aren’t seriously affected you could pass it on to someone who is.
Hm. I gave this a quick Google before and came up with nothing, but looking it up now there are several results. Thanks!
You absolutely should. Our family we all experienced some negative effect from the COVID shot (mostly sore arms), not from the flu shot.
You should probably get the flu shot. If the flu shot knocks you out for a few days it’s probably better than getting the flu and being more sick for a week. The flu is a more serious illness than we typically think of it. Plus you would help stop the spread to other more vulnerable people, which is nice. The flu shot is one of the best things you can do for public health.
Also for what it’s worth, never been knocked on my ass from a flu shot. I know people who have been, but I think most people aren’t that bothered by it… Just a sore arm and maybe a little achey next day.
The flu can be lethal, I would consider that a pretty long-term effect
Not surprised when the government tried to pretend that COVID isn’t a problem anymore
No just that. Even stores did away with measures to protect their staff and shoppers: removing clear plexiglass at cash registers, getting rid of hand sanitizer, removing social distancing markers on the floor, etc.
Because the government isn’t madating anything anymore. They’re all just pretending like it doesn’t exist anymore
But stores already had these things in place, and the original investment/cost was already spent.
Removing those safeguards seems to have been done out of spite. And to whose benefit? It just creates additional strain on employees, who will get sick more often.
Yeah, but then the staff get sick and they can find some reason to cut their hours or fire them. Then replace them with new hires that are paid less and get less in benefits and compensation.
The timing of invitations this year was awful. We were pretty much through flu season when I got my invitation.
What invitation? I had to proactively remember to get my vaccine.
In bc I got a text message and an email letting me know I can book an appointment
Invitation?
I got mine the end of October. Could’ve maybe got it a week or two earlier.
Got mine in October, along with the regular flu shot. I haven’t gotten anything yet.
What would you say to someone who has no concerns about getting sick as all of humanity will forever get sick in the future, some will die, some will live, but life will always continue on regardless of a 100% guarantee of death for every new creation that is born? Every life will end, but life itself will never stop and will never end.
COVID ? What COVID ? Oh yeah, totally forgot about this.
Here in Australia, official advice is to stop at 4. Which many people have already had
I’ve had covid several times and it’s always been mild so i just plainly didn’t bother
It’s sooooo frustrating that we’re in the tail end of a global pandemic and people still don’t understand how community immunity works.
We’re at the end? Covid is here to stay
End of the pandemic. Which in this case means we have an effective vaccine, and as long as people get the damn thing COVID seems to stop killing people at such a high rate.
Germany actually advises against getting the vaccine if you aren’t at risk.
Seems unlikely
Ok
I tried to find a source for your comment and couldn’t find anything based off the limited details you gave.
Do you have a proper source? Or are you by chance just making things up like so many on this platform?
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I prefer to minimize my chances of getting long covid, so getting vaccinated is the obvious choice.
Tell me you vote conservative without saying “F🍁ck Trudeau.”
Can you explain the difference between the small pox vaccine, a flu shot and an mrna vaccine?
edit: a typo
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The smallpox vaccine was an active infection of cowpox that left you immune to both diseases. Seasonal flu shots use active flu virus, cultured in eggs, then inactivated and concentrated. Mrna vaccines are a set of rna instructions that tell your cells to make a bunch of unique proteins that a virus uses to enter your cells, this triggers your immune system to recognize that protein.
There is no related infection like cowpox and covid mutates too quickly to wait for literally a billion eggs to be laid. Mrna vaccines can be designed in days and manufactured in less than a month . The mortality rate of vaccinated people was a fraction of those who were not vaccinated, the vaccine does not stop you from getting all covid forever, it stops you from becoming severely ill from one particular strain. But every time it mutates a new vaccine has to be developed to match, the same as seasonal flu but 5x faster.
Didn’t know that that was how mnra works. Wild. And thanks, good explanation overall.
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