By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The signs of summer’s waning are all around us. Back to school sales, shorter evenings, clearance sales off seasonal accoutrements, and so on. I even saw a formation of Canada Geese heading south the other night, a foreboding sight indeed.
And as Canadians bid adieu to another seemingly brief summer, attention inevitably returns to more serious matters of schooling, work, and of course COVID-19.
We’ve all done very well at ignoring the omnipresent virus as we enjoy our outdoor Canadian summer, but with the coming of fall the virus is set to become more active amongst a more indoor population.
The strategy across Canada is pretty much along the lines of pushing a variant-tuned booster in the fall. Moderna for instance, has just received approval in the U.K. for its new booster that targets both the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron BA.1 variant.
But just how receptive will Canadians be to another round of boosters and potentially a reimposition of restrictions, if it comes to that. We know the tantrum the little gaggle of deniers will throw.
But for the rest of the otherwise well-balanced population, it appears some bets may be off.
A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute illuminates the fact that a Canadian population once boisterous about boosters is now more hesitant. Three-in-five vaccinated Canadians (61 per cent) say they’re ready and willing to get their next shot when eligible, led by men and women over the age of 54 (73 per cent and 81 per cent respectively).
The interesting part is that for those who have already had three or four shots, the willingness to keep boosting remains high, but not so for those who have received one or two doses. In this group just 17 per cent say they will get another booster, while a full 60 per cent say no.
And then there are the Canadian males of the species. Specifically, those aged 18-55 of which 36 per cent see no need for another booster. What’s up with that, maybe they’ve just ‘mansplained’ COVID away?
Those in favour of another round of boosters want them sooner than later, according to Angus Reid. Overall, 54 per cent of Canadians say their province should offer a fourth dose to all adults as soon as possible, while one-in-five (18 per cent) would wait until the fall.
Residents of B.C. and Atlantic Canada are the keenest, with nearly 67 per cent eager to get a fall booster. Perhaps unsurprisingly Albertans are least willing to get a booster dose, with only 31 per cent in favour.
It is intriguing that while 54 per cent of Canadians are keen on a fourth dose, a larger 77 per cent of Canadians continue to consider COVID-19 as a real threat. Why the gap? Perhaps the 23 per cent in between believe their protection is adequate. Understandably this perception of threat rises to 82 per cent for those aged 55 and over.
And as the study points out a not insubstantial chunk of Canadians now believe boosters are unnecessary or even ineffective. A surprising 22 per cent of Canadians now say they do not believe that keeping up with vaccinations gives a person protection against either infection or serious illness. Here again, we see the male 18-55 cohort.
No doubt people’s memories are short. As has been repeatedly stated by medical specialists from the very beginning, the vaccine is not a silver bullet. It was never promised to 100 per cent prevent contracting COVID-19.
One more time: it lessens the chance of getting the virus and more importantly, if contracted, the symptoms are less severe and not life-threatening.
We would not have had the largely carefree summer we’ve enjoyed had it not been for our high vaccination rate which has given the population effective immunity.
After all the pain and heartache of the past two-plus years, now is not the time to drop the ball. For the vast bulk of British Columbians who did get vaccinated, it’s only logical to continue with the boosters, which will likely evolve into an annual shot. We’ve all grown accustomed to the annual flu shot, this one will shortly be no different.
Just get it done.
