Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Hospitalizations among adults with breakthrough cases of COVID-19 are 'extremely uncommon,' a new study suggests.
According to , published in this month's Clinical Infectious Diseases, fewer than 1 in 1,000 people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have been previously infected with COVID-19 were hospitalized after a breakthrough infection.
"In the general primary care patient population, those who have been vaccinated have very low risk of subsequent hospitalization for breakthrough COVID-19," Dr. Benjamin Pollock, the study's lead author, said . "Our study shows that while it can and does happen, that these occurrences are extremely uncommon."
Researchers studied more than 100,000 people who were 18 years old or older over the course of 21 months. Of those patients, 69 were later hospitalized after a breakthrough infection of COVID-19.
For vaccinated patients, the rate of hospitalization was 0.06 per cent, or six people in 10,000. For previously infected but unvaccinated people, the rate was 0.03 per cent, or three people in 10,000.
For those who had previously been vaccinated and infected, the rate was 0.01 per cent, or one person out of 10,000. Researchers said the small difference in infection rates between the three groups was "statistically insignificant."
"We found these results to be in line with previous studies, although the interpretation shouldn't necessarily be that natural immunity provides the same protection as vaccination," Pollock said. "Rather, this study found that among our primary care population, both natural immunity and vaccine immunity appeared to lead to very low rates of breakthrough hospitalizations."
Given the risks associated with becoming infected with COVID-19, Dr. Aaron Tande, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician and a co-author of the study, said vaccination is still the safest and most effective way to protect against serious illness.
"Because it's impossible to tell in advance how severe a first infection may be, or who among vulnerable populations the virus may spread to, waiting for natural immunity is a gamble and not a safe alternative," Tande said.
The study's authors said that their analysis was limited by the lack of adjustment for the different variants of COVID-19, such as the highly-transmissible Omicron variant or its subvariant BA.2, but note that other studies about natural and vaccine immunity have produced similar results.
"While breakthrough infections are increasingly reported, infections that result in hospitalization are rare in those with either type of immunity," researchers said. "Primary care physicians should continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination as an evidence-based method of limiting the risks of future COVID-19 hospitalization."
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.
Toy giant Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets an error on the packaging of its 'Wicked' movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Business groups are raising concerns about the broad effects of another round of labour disruptions in the transport sector as Canada faces shutdowns at its two biggest ports.
A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.