COVID-19 vaccination rates on the Prairies grow slowly after rush of keeners
The rush to get initial doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the Prairies appears to be weakening -- not stalling but definitely slowing down -- with the rate of the eligible population getting a first shot hovering around 70 per cent in the three provinces.
Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, is warning that the country has to up its vaccination game, so efforts are being made to persuade more people to roll up their sleeves.
"We're seeing sort of a saturation of first doses ... and that is a concerning phenomenon that we need to address," Dr. Philippe Lagace-Wiens, a medical microbiologist at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, said in an interview this week.
Timothy Caulfield, a Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta, is seeing the same trend in Alberta. He is optimistic the province can surpass 80 per cent "if we really try."
"It's going to be tough. It's going to require that we use every tool at our disposal," Caulfield said.
Lagace-Wiens and Caulfield say people who have not yet been vaccinated include outright pandemic deniers, people who are hesitant and those who face mobility, cultural or socio-economic barriers.
Recent data compiled by the Manitoba government has attempted to lay out the size of each group.
The data, a compilation of opinion surveys and online feedback first released in March, estimated 69 per cent of Manitobans were "keeners" intent on getting doses as soon as they could.
It said another 12 per cent were likely to get the vaccine but were not in a rush, about nine per cent were skeptical and undecided, and fewer than 10 per cent were adamant that they would not get a shot.
The government released updated data this month that estimated the number of keeners had risen while all other categories had dropped.
Caulfield said it makes sense that some hesitant people are won over as time goes on and they see more of their neighbours getting vaccines, but noted it can take time.
"Normalizing that vaccination process ... can help people feel comfortable about getting vaccinated."
Governments are trying carrots more than sticks to win over the hesitant. Manitoba and Alberta are offering lotteries with prizes totalling millions of dollars. There are ad campaigns urging people to get a vaccine to protect their loved ones, or to help move a province to the point where it can reopen concert venues, theatres and large sporting events.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said this week his government will not hold a lottery.
"You get to protect your family, your friends, your loved ones and everyone around you from this COVID virus," Moe said Tuesday.
"If you like to gamble, then I would suggest to you don't get your shot. The prize is not what you think."
Manitoba has targeted some geographic areas where vaccine uptake has been low. In Winnipeg's inner-city, a mobile clinic in a van has reached out to the homeless and others facing daily struggles that can make a vaccine a back-burner concern.
In some rural areas south of Winnipeg, where vaccine uptake has been nearly half of the Manitoba average, health officials are trying to engage religious and community leaders to get more people onside.
Doctors Manitoba, the provincial physicians association, has scheduled livestream town halls to answer vaccine questions, with two of the four sessions aimed specifically at people in southern areas with low vaccine uptake.
Lagace-Wiens said the percentage of people who need to get immunized to get Canada close to herd immunity is a moving target, because of variants that can spread more quickly.
COVID-19 vaccinations could eventually become as widespread as measles shots, which are delivered in childhood, Lagace-Wiens said, but he added the current pandemic must be dealt with first.
"A bare minimum for our strategy is to get at least up to 80 per cent, 90 per cent but ... our true goal should be 100 per cent immunity."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2021.
-- With files from Julia Peterson in Saskatoon
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.