Quebec's COVID-19 booster rate remains low as province rolls out new vaccination campaign

Quebec is preparing to launch a provincewide COVID-19 vaccination campaign ahead of a possible new fall wave. But it's unclear if that's enough to trigger a pandemic - the exhausted public will roll up their sleeves for another booster.

As of Wednesday, he was the only 56% of Quebec citizens over the age of five who had received her third vaccination. Government officials say the booster intake is low because millions of Quebec citizens have contracted the novelcoronavirusand believe they are well protected.

Meanwhile, health experts say pandemic fatigue and communication with governments are also playing a role.

Dr. Dong Binh, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University Health Center, is responsible for the state government's message. Vinh said the government should push boosters more strongly over the past six months to eight months instead of pushing in a big way when the current wave of COVID-19 is weakening. said it was.

If there were "consistent and clear" recommendations for boosters, "more people would be protected and free from infection." All the consequences would have been avoided in the last few months," he said in an interview.

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Jason Harley-McGill University Associate Professor of Surgery believes many have moved to a "post-corona mentality" and are no longer listening to public health advice. After his two years in the pandemic, worry turned into overconfidence.

``A lot of this has to do with fatigue from the pandemic,'' they said in an interview. "It's normal, because I've been living with a tremendous amount of anxiety, sometimes by the hour," said Harley, who also has a PhD in educational psychology.

Convincing people to protect themselves and continue to listen to the guidelines, Hurley said, requires connecting with people through clear and easy-to-understand public health messages.

This won't always be easy when people are on "different timelines," they said, as they can qualify for boosters at different stages of the pandemic. , there is also a difference in the target audience of the booster.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Christian Dubet admitted that booster rates had "stalled", but that the phenomenon For the most part, many people have been infected with his COVID-19 in recent months. He told a press conference that 88% of his most vulnerable age group over 60 had received his third dose.

Adults should receive a booster dose if more than 5 months have passed since their last dose or if it has been 3 months since they were infected with COVID-19. is needed. Dube said bookings for the vaccine will begin next week for people aged 60 and over, and on August 29 for people aged 18 and over.

Her Caroline Quach-Thanh, a microbiologist and chairman of Quebec's Immunization Commission, said at the same press conference that new vaccines in development could provide longer immunity. said there is While the products currently on offer offer excellent protection, "there is no long-term answer when it comes to durability," she said.

Vinh suggested that, at least for now, Quebec citizens need to get used to the idea of ​​being vaccinated against COVID-19 on a regular basis. Vaccines are still highly effective against severe illness and death, but it is clear that regular boosters will be needed to maintain immunity.

Some people might say, "We're overdoing the vaccine," but instead we should think of vaccines like any other drug, Binh said.

"Some drugs are given twice or three times a day, and you know why.

"When the effect wears off, it's time to take another dose.

READ MORE: COVID-19: Quebec premier said as vaccination campaign launched, "for now "There are no new restrictions."

' or the decision to remove the term 'fifth time'.

Anne Gatinol believes people will get boosters but need nudges.

"I have found that people simply don't do it if they are not encouraged to do it. We agree that we are doing the right thing by giving everyone a booster.

Health Experts point out that even though young people are less likely to die from COVID-19, they can still get very sick from COVID-19.

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