'We're not being as proactive': Most Quebecers not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines
On this Thanksgiving long weekend, many Quebecers are gathering with family after two years of on-and-off pandemic restrictions.
But health experts are concerned about low vaccination rates in the province.
According to the latest data, only 22 per cent of Quebecers are up to date with their vaccines, meaning they've gotten a shot within the last five months.
That number falls to just seven per cent for those between 18 and 39. Meanwhile, 17 per cent of Quebecers ages 40 to 59 are up to date. For those ages 60 to 90, that number is 39 per cent, and for Quebecers older than 80, it's 52 per cent.
According to epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos, some Quebecers underestimate the importance of vigilance during this later stage of the pandemic.
"The problem with the 'I'm over COVID' argument is that COVID isn't over you," Labos told CTV News. "Most people who get COVID are going to recover, but a small proportion won't. They will be left with long-term complications."
Complications, he says, that weigh on the health network.
"If COVID only affected a thousand people, the fact that one of them is going to get severely sick, that's something the healthcare system can cope with. But when you have a million people getting it and a thousand with long-term symptoms, that puts a severe burden on the healthcare system."
Health Canada is appealing to those who haven't gotten their booster shots, adding that the latest bivalent vaccines are more effective against new variants.
"If we make better use of the vaccines in Canada, we will be able to significantly reduce the hospitalization rate that will observe towards the end of the fall and early 2023," said federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos at a press conference.
Labos noted that new variants could be on the horizon, meaning even those who consider themselves adequately protected from the virus could be at risk if they don't remain up to date.
"We're not being as proactive as we were before," he said. "We're sort of waiting to see how things evolve."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.