We've been sharing the planet with SARS-CoV-2 for more than three years now, but the science and recommendations for how to best protect against the virus and its variants are still constantly evolving.
In the to those recommendations, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) said last week it no longer "routinely recommends" follow-up COVID-19 boosters for people with a medium or low risk of developing severe illness from the virus. Canadian health officials are, for the most part, echoing that message.
“Updated to reflect that much of the population is either vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19, or both, the revised roadmap re-emphasizes the importance of vaccinating those still at risk of severe disease,†SAGE chair Dr. Hanna Nohynek said in a media release issued March 28.
“Countries should consider their specific context in deciding whether to continue vaccinating low-risk groups, like healthy children and adolescents, while not compromising the routine vaccines that are so crucial for the health and well-being of this age group.â€
SAGE defines three priority-use groups for COVID-19 vaccination – high, medium, and low – based on a balance of cost-effectiveness and risk of severe disease or death.
The high-priority group includes seniors, younger adults with significant comorbidities such as diabetes and heart disease, adults and children older than six months with immunocompromising conditions, pregnant people and front-line health-care workers.
According to Canadian immunologist Matthew Tunis, the new SAGE guidance is similar to the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) made several weeks earlier.
"Our assessment is that there's a high degree of concordance or overlap between what the WHO is recommending that every country considers and what NACI has been recommending for COVID-19 boosters," Tunis, who serves as NACI's executive secretary, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Tuesday.
NACI recommends that high-risk Canadians receive booster shots this spring, even if they were boosted in the fall.
That group includes all adults 80 years of age and older; adults 65 to 79 years old, especially if they have never been infected with COVID-19; adults living in long-term care homes and other congregate living settings for seniors or those with complex medical care needs; and people over 18 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition or ongoing treatment.
Healthy, fully vaccinated individuals who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine booster can skip the spring vaccination campaign. Those who have received a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine but haven't received their first booster dose should get boosted as soon as possible.
As for when low-risk Canadians should get their next boost, Tunis said they can technically do so six months after their last dose, according to the but that it's better if they wait for further guidance from NACI or consult their provincial booster recommendations first.
For now, he said, the committee is still trying to determine whether COVID-19 boosters for the general population should be rolled out as a seasonal, annual or as-needed program in the future.
"What we are seeing…is that hybrid immunity, which is achieved by vaccination in those who have a history of infection as well, is proving to be very stable to prevent severe disease," Tunis said. "But everyone is watching closely to see how long all of this immunity lasts, and if there's continued waning, there may be a need for continual boosters."
Even as highly contagious Omicron sub-variants have continued to spread within Canada, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths have stabilized for now. During a federal on March 10, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the virus has reached a relatively steady state in Canada.
"While uncertainty remains about the seasonal patterns for COVID-19, the current trend suggests we may not see any major waves in the coming months as we prepare for a potential fall and winter surge," Tam said. "Together with international partners, we will also continue to monitor the situation closely."
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A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
French authorities said four migrants, including a two-year-old child, died Saturday in two separate incidents as they attempted to cross the English Channel toward Britain.
A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East on Saturday as he blamed Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel for a staggering number of civilian deaths.
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Bruzzese came down with COVID-19 in February 2023, and received her injection at the end of March. “Being able to recognize smells is something we take for granted, until you can’t.â€
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Dubai's Emirates airline has banned pagers and walkie-talkies from its planes, following last month's attacks on such devices carried by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
TikToks of customers stuffing their faces with a US$20 endless shrimp. More than 100 restaurant closures and thousands of layoffs. A revolving door of CEOs. Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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Huron OPP say they were on the scene of a plane crash this morning, with a pilot finding themselves unable to halt before the end of a runway in Brussels.
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Ever since Taylor Swift made thousands, if not millions, of loyal fans’ wildest dreams come true by announcing a three-show run in Vancouver this December, scammers have attempted, and sometimes succeeded, to take advantage of the scramble for tickets.
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Lethbridge police executed dozens of warrants and laid numerous charges in another targeted enforcement project in the downtown area.
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The Ontario College of Family Physicians has presented awards to 750 doctors based on comments from patients, including eight physicians who are part of the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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