Champion of the second dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, Canada is the second worst country in the G7 – after the United States – for the rate of vaccination of the third dose.
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
Only 54.3% of Canadians received their third dose. Canada is far ahead of the United States (30.8%) and slightly behind Japan (56.3%) and France (56.3%). The average for G7 countries is 55.4% (figures from OurWorldinData as of May 15).
The third dose significantly increases the protection of the vaccine against Omicron. “The difference is huge with Omicron. Everyone needs the third dose,” says immunologist André Veillette, professor at the University of Montreal.
Why is Canada late?
The vaccination campaign for the first two doses was a success in Canada. For the third dose, Canada has always been, since the fall of 2021, among the three worst countries in the G7 in terms of vaccination rates.
Canada and Quebec later began offering the third dose. Why can’t we catch up? Pandemic fatigue and less effective government messages than for the first two doses explain the situation, according to experts consulted by The Press.
” The government [du Québec] kinda gave up [pour la troisième dose], says immunologist André Veillette. We started late and there was a loss of enthusiasm. »
The government also made too many promises with the first two doses, saying that once 85% of people had been vaccinated with two doses, that would settle everything and that we would be able to remove all the measures. Some people have taken notice. There is not the same enthusiasm for getting the third dose.
André Veillette, immunologist and professor at the University of Montreal
“There could have been a better government message on the booster dose,” says virologist Benoit Barbeau, professor at UQAM. There is also pandemic fatigue. “Everyone considers that the pandemic is behind us and that the booster dose is not important, when it is not the case,” says Mr. Barbeau.
However, Quebec remains ahead of Ontario in terms of third-dose vaccination rates, with a vaccination rate of 51.5% of its total population, compared to 49.1% for Ontario as of May 15.1. The third dose rate is much lower in Alberta, at 37.6%.
Beware of comparisons, says Quebec
The Legault government believes that “significant nuances” must be made with international comparisons because more than 3 million Quebecers caught COVID-19 during the fifth wave (according to public health estimates) and that Quebec recommends wait three months after a COVID-19 infection before picking up your third dose.
That’s right – except that the same phenomenon has affected all G7 countries in much the same way. And for many Quebecers who caught COVID-19 during the winter, that three-month period is over. And yet, Quebec has administered on average only 1400 third doses per day during the last week.
Will the third dose be more popular in the summer? As the epidemiological situation improves and health restrictions have mostly fallen, epidemiologist Benoît Mâsse doubts. He anticipates that the third dose will become more popular in early fall as a new wave approaches. “In the fall, we will have to restart the machine and win back Quebecers,” says Mr. Mâsse, a professor at the University of Montreal.
In Quebec, the vaccination rate for the third dose is 51% in the general population, 62% among those aged 18 and over, 34% among those aged 18-29, 41% among those aged 30-39, 54% among 40-49 years old, 68% among 50-59 year olds, 85% among 60-69 year olds and 91% among 70 years old and over, according to INSPQ figures as of May 11.
1. The third dose is not offered in Quebec to the vast majority of children under 12 years old. We calculated the vaccination rate for the entire general population, as it is the common denominator for international comparisons by the OurWorldinData site.
Reactions from Ottawa and Quebec
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Jean-Yves Duclos, Federal Minister of Health
Vaccination remains the best way to protect against COVID-19. […] Like it or not, the pandemic is not over and the virus continues to circulate in our communities. We are also not immune to new variants and new waves. […] We encourage all Canadians who are there [admissibles] who have not yet done so to receive their booster dose as soon as possible.
Office of the Federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Christian Dubé, Minister of Health and Social Services of Quebec
Quebec is one of the jurisdictions in the world where the population is the most vaccinated. […] For the third dose, 87% of those aged 60 and over received their booster dose. As these are the most vulnerable to COVID and at higher risk of complications and hospitalizations, and these are the people we have targeted more, this is great news.
Office of the Minister of Health and Social Services of Quebec, Christian Dubé