Vaccinations ‘steady’ but far under peak, says pharmacists’ association

Weekly vaccination numbers have fallen precipitously because the peak of New Brunswick’s vaccination program, however the province’s pharmacists say they’ve nonetheless been regular.

“They’re conducting a variety of these second boosters … about 70 per cent of all of the COVID-19 vaccinations proper now are the second booster,” Jake Reid, the pinnacle of the New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Affiliation, stated Monday. 

“It is regular. It isn’t overly busy. It is definitely not like we noticed on the peak.”

New pandemic knowledge is just launched by the province weekly, so it is troublesome to get an up-to-date image of the continued rollout of the province’s vaccination program.

However the newest numbers, launched final Tuesday, present that within the week of Might 15 to Might 21, solely 975 vaccinations got within the province.

That included 682 booster doses, 207 second doses and 86 first doses.

This fell nicely under the province’s pandemic peak of 42,000 photographs per week.

Whereas 93.2 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have obtained a minimum of one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, solely 52.3 per cent have obtained a booster dose.

To date, 65.6 per cent of eligible Nova Scotians have obtained a booster dose.

In Prince Edward Island 82,594 booster doses have been administered in a inhabitants of 164,318.

False safety and complacency

Reid stated the autumn within the vaccination charge is one thing pharmacists have seen after each new part of vaccination, such because the addition of second doses.

This fall-off is being exacerbated by a few points, Reid stated.

One, extra folks now know somebody who has had COVID and that’s resulting in some false safety.

“Folks beneath 40 appear to suppose that, ‘I’ve acquired associates and so they’ve gotten COVID and it did not seem to be it was that dangerous. Is it that essential to get out and get my vaccination,'” Reid stated. 

“Folks have stated, ‘Perhaps it is higher if I rip it off like a Band-Help and I simply get COVID at this level,’ which could be very harmful.”

Reid stated the lifting of pandemic restrictions throughout the nation has additionally led to some complacency.

“Folks possibly do not feel like they have to be up on their vaccinations, however we all know that is not the case,” he stated. 

“That is the primary means we are able to nonetheless shield ourselves and we have to do this.”