Open the third dose to the general population, or give more vaccines to countries in need? This is the delicate question that Canada and Quebec will have to answer in the coming days. Experts agree that the “booster dose” will be crucial in tackling the Omicron variant, but argue for a “thoughtful” and “balanced” approach, which would take inequalities into account.
“Buying time is good, but at some point, you’ll have to think about what’s going on outside our home, and remember that Omicron comes from countries with little vaccines. This is just one example among many others of what awaits us if we do not change our approach, ”explains virologist and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM Benoit Barbeau.
Like many specialists, he still believes that authorization of the third dose in certain groups is a priority, in particular healthcare workers and those 50 and over, who are already authorized to obtain it in Ontario and Alberta. . In the latter province, everyone 18 and over can already get their third dose. At the Canadian level, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is due to make its recommendations on this subject in the coming days, and should suggest extending access to the third dose to people aged 50 and over. However, the Quebec Immunization Committee (CIQ) will then have to decide.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Benoit Barbeau, virologist and professor of biological sciences
We see with the examples in the world that it makes it possible to control waves on a national scale, as the case of Israel demonstrates. But at the same time, the question will eventually arise: are we going to have to get a booster dose every six months? Where will this cycle end?
Benoit Barbeau, virologist and professor of biological sciences
In his view, the situation will not really be resolved until poorer countries have access to the same vaccine supply, even if Western societies regularly vaccinate their populations. “Anything that grows on the outside, because of very poor vaccine coverage, is where all the variants are going to be created, and some are going to have more bite than others,” he says.
No “unnecessary” doses
Imitating Alberta, by making the third dose accessible to all adults, “is not at all justified for Quebec,” says the professor-researcher specializing in immunology and virology at the National Institute for Scientific Research ( INRS) Alain Lamarre. “You have to keep a cool head. If the doses are useful, you should use them here, but where you have to draw a line is not to give everyone a third dose, without having evidence showing that their immunity is weakening ”, he maintains.
It takes a logical and scientific approach, because, in Quebec, there is no evidence that immunity greatly decreases, even seven months after the second dose, at least in terms of hospitalizations or severe forms. infections.
Alain Lamarre, professor-researcher specializing in immunology and virology
“The doses, you have to use them when you need them. If you use them three or four months too early, the immunity will also last three or four months less. A predictable plan, with indicators, is what we are currently lacking, ”adds Mr. Lamarre.
According to the Dr André Veillette, researcher at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) and member of the federal working group on vaccines against COVID-19, we should especially “harmonize” the decisions of the Canadian authorities. “It does not make sense that we are at several different speeds in the provinces. We always send contradictory messages to the public. The reality is that we must above all maintain protection in adults, while we vaccinate 5-11 year olds, ”he says.
In Quebec, only those 70 and over and those who have had two doses of AstraZeneca can so far obtain a booster dose. By email, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) specifies that “for the moment, the CIQ is monitoring the situation closely”. “In the event that the committee recommends offering a booster dose to other categories of people, the Ministry will adjust its vaccination offer accordingly. Public health must come back to us on this subject, ”said spokesperson Marjorie Larouche.
The third dose in the world
United States
As of November 19, all American adults who have been doubly vaccinated for at least six months can get a third dose of the vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna. The booster dose is “highly recommended” for those 50 and over.
France
All people 18 years of age and over who have been vaccinated twice for at least five months are entitled to the booster dose. In France, however, this third dose will be mandatory before January 15 to keep the “health pass”, the French equivalent of the vaccine passport.
Israel
The Pfizer vaccine booster campaign is aimed at everyone over the age of 12, five months after their last injection. It is one of the first countries in the world to have launched the booster dose, as of last summer.
Brazil
Third-dose injections also began this fall in the South American country, where more than 62% of the population, or 213 million people, has already received two doses of the vaccine. As in Quebec, it is the 70 and over who have been prioritized.