Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health says that as misinformation has fuelled doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, the benefits of vaccination are being forgotten.
Dr. Robert Strang’s comments come as preliminary data for the province’s fall vaccination campaign shows that uptake in high-risk age categories is much higher for flu shots than COVID-19 inoculations.
Among people 70 and older, 52 per cent have had their flu shots, compared to 35 per cent for COVID-19 vaccinations. For people 65 to 69, the percentages are 43 and 28, respectively.
“There’s a lot of perceived risk from vaccines that’s not based on any truth and we need to get back to an understanding that vaccination is a foundational investment in all of us and protecting ourselves and protecting those around us,” said Strang.
A recent study led by the World Health Organization estimated that 154 million lives were saved over the past 50 years because of vaccines.
Timothy Caulfield, a University of Alberta professor, has studied health disinformation for decades.
“With the COVID vaccine, you’re seeing so much discussion about … the politics of it, the potential adverse reactions to it, and often that’s misrepresented and the profound benefit is lost in the noise,” he said.
“Not only does the COVID vaccine reduce your chance for hospitalization or other severe outcomes [such as death], it also reduces the likelihood of getting … things like long COVID.”
Caulfield said one reason for lower COVID vaccine uptake than flu shots could be a perception that getting both at the same time could lead to a greater chance of side-effects. He said that’s something he’s heard from friends and neighbours.
“And the reality is it’s perfectly safe to get them at the same time,” he said. “And studies have shown that you do not increase your risk of an adverse reaction if you get them at the same time.”
As well, Caulfield thinks people might get the flu shot with the intention of later returning to get a COVID vaccine and just don’t get around to it.
Strang also attributed the low vaccination rates to COVID fatigue, but said the vaccination process has become complicated.
Whether it’s knowing how long to wait after a COVID infection before getting a vaccine — the province currently recommends waiting six months — or changing guidelines on how many doses one should get, Strang said Public Health officials need to simplify getting that information across.
“One of the challenges is we’d like to align it with flu vaccination, but COVID has not yet shown fully that it’s a seasonal vaccine like flu,” he said.
“It waxes and wanes throughout the year, so we’re not yet at a point where we can reliably say for very high-risk people that a single dose of vaccine is enough to keep them protected through the year.”
For example, there was also a spring COVID vaccination campaign for high-risk people to get an additional dose.
The province’s latest respiratory watch report shows that since Aug. 25, there have been 36 COVID deaths in the province.
Flu season coming, says Strang
The data also shows there have been only 15-lab confirmed flu cases during that period, but Strang cautions those numbers will rise.
“We have not yet had really any substantive amount of influenza or [respiratory syncytial virus], but that’s coming,” he said. “We expect those numbers to start to climb over the next few weeks as we get into late December, January, so it’s just the pattern of how the viruses are playing out.”
Of those 15 cases, four resulted in hospitalizations, of which two of the patients were children between zero and four years of age.
Strang said only 15 per cent of children between six months of age and five years old have received their flu shots.
“We underestimate the impact of influenza on young children,” he said.
Strang said it’s important for those who are pregnant to get immunized to pass along some immunity to their children, and then have the children get their flu shots when they’re at least six months.
Book appointments, says Strang
With the Christmas holidays nearing, Strang is expecting a COVID resurgence, as well as other respiratory illnesses to pick up.
“Make your appointments,” he said. “We have lots of vaccine available through family doctors, pharmacists.”
