Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos clarified on Thursday that being “up to date” on your COVID-19 vaccination means having received a dose within the last nine months, a measure that could inspire governments in the event that a vaccination obligation is reinstated in the fall.
A period of nine months is “a reasonable time” to receive the next dose and thus remain up to date with their vaccinations, he said at a press conference in Ottawa.
Mr. Duclos said he wanted to “normalize” what science teaches since “fully vaccinated, it no longer works with two doses”.
Specifying a nine-month deadline will both “encourage” and “guide” people in what they “need to do” and the government in “any other measures (it) might put in place”, said the minister.
Alongside him, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, explained what made it possible to set the period at nine months.
“From the perspective of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, they recommend a six-month gap between that second dose and the booster dose. […], but provinces can also, depending on their epidemiology and context, shorten the timelines and some of them have done so, she said. And people can also wait three months after being infected to receive their booster dose. »
Minister Duclos had already set the table in mid-June, not ruling out reinstating a vaccination obligation in the fall in the event that the epidemiological situation deteriorates and specifying that he replaces the concept of being “fully vaccinated”. by that of “up-to-date vaccination”.
New NACI recommendation
The Minister’s remarks come a few hours after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that booster vaccine doses against COVID-19 be offered next fall to several Canadian clienteles.
In a document, the Committee proposes that people at increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 could receive a booster dose, regardless of the number of booster doses already received.
The people particularly targeted are adults aged 65 and over, residents of long-term care facilities or group living environments for seniors, people aged 12 and over who have a condition that exposes them to high risk of a severe form of COVID-19, Métis, Inuit and people living in First Nations communities where infection can lead to disproportionate consequences, adults from racialized or marginalized communities as well as people aged 12 and over living in congregate settings such as migrant workers’ quarters, shelters and correctional facilities.
NACI recommends that the fall booster dose be offered after an interval of at least six months since a previous dose or COVID-19 infection. However, the Committee adds that a shorter interval of at least three months could be justified in the context of an increased epidemiological risk.
The likelihood, timing and severity of a future wave of COVID-19 are uncertain, according to NACI, which adds that the incidence of the coronavirus may increase in late fall and winter, which will pose a risk to individuals and communities and increase the pressure on health systems.