Some experts worry government messaging about the state of the COVID\u002D19 pandemic may stymie uptake of fourth vaccine doses.
Ontario will allow residents aged 60 and older to make fourth-dose appointments as of Thursday and Quebec will follow suit next week. Several other provinces are also making the shot available to older demographics — developments that come after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended this week that second boosters be administered to residents aged 70 and over.
While governments have shifted the onus to “personal responsibility” when it comes to masking, urging people to assess their own risk level, Grindrod said the number of people who are going maskless in indoor public spaces suggests many don’t have a good sense of how prevalent COVID-19 is right now. “The rationale was you might not get as much benefit from your booster if you’re already boosted from infection,” Grindrod said.
“The messaging was that those were for sick people or old people. So many people in the general population got the message that with two they were finished … They were clearly done their vaccination journey and more vaccines were just for sick people,” she said. “That is just not true with Omicron.” Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist, said evidence is scant that a fourth dose will help young, healthy people fight COVID-19, but for those in older age groups and people who are immunocompromised, the benefit is clear.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Covid-19: Four Covid-related deaths and 530 in hospitalThe total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in NI since the start of the pandemic is 3,346.
Read more »
Covid-19: Two Covid-related deaths and 519 in hospitalThe total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in NI since the start of the pandemic is 3,348.
Read more »
Covid jabs: Why families are taking their children for a Covid vaccineChildren having the vaccination in Derby say the experience made their worries go.
Read more »
Experts gather to discuss COVID boosters for the fallFDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said it wouldn’t be surprising if the agency authorized another booster dose in the fall.
Read more »
Higher-profile COVID experts more likely to get online abuseSurveys find scientists who appeared frequently in news media were most likely to report personal attacks or trolling.
Read more »
Why experts are 'not concerned' SF's COVID rate is highest in Calif.'I don’t think it’s any reason to go back to putting the brakes on and our masks back on.'
Read more »