Chestermere Residents Urged to Get Updated COVID-19 Vaccine: Where is the Buzz?

COVID-19 vaccinations once took the nation by storm. Radios blared, TV screens flashed, and social media feeds were replete with calls to get vaccinated. Over 80% of Canadians heeded that call, lining up for their first and second doses. However, as the situation evolved and booster shots became available, public enthusiasm seemed to wane.
Today, even as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna introduce their updated vaccines against the increasingly prevalent XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant, the clamour for vaccinations doesn’t resonate as loudly. This drop in public awareness has experts concerned, given the vaccine’s significance in countering a spike in COVID-19 cases, and the fact that many Canadians’ immunity is decreasing after six months post-vaccination.
Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, a prominent voice in community health from the University of Saskatchewan, comments on this perceptible shift in public attitude as “COVID amnesia”. His sentiments underscore a disparity between the present scenario and previous years. While the pandemic’s threat is not as dire as before, we’re still not entirely out of the woods.
Although most provinces and territories have information available online about the updated vaccine, merely having it isn’t enough. Muhajarine asserts that people need to be proactive to access this information.
British Columbia, however, offers an exemplary approach to this challenge. They keep their vaccinated citizens informed through direct text or email messages about when they should get their updated shot. The process is systematic, targeting the most vulnerable groups first, with approximately 144,000 invitations sent out daily.
While provincial and territorial governments drive their advertising campaigns, the Public Health Agency of Canada is also pushing the updated vaccine’s importance through multiple campaigns. Although their advertising budget has seen a reduction this fiscal year, their focus has sharpened towards higher-risk individuals.
Despite these measures, there’s still a considerable gap in awareness and urgency. Dr. Thomas Piggott highlights how public health continues to be underfunded compared to other sectors, affecting their capacity to effectively communicate the vaccine’s significance.
One major point of contention is the terminology used for the updated vaccine. Muhajarine emphasizes that it should not be referred to as a “booster” but rather a new vaccine reformulation designed to target the current circulating variant. Dr. Vinita Dubey of Toronto Public Health concurs, suggesting that the term “booster” may trivialize the vaccine’s importance.
With the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommending everyone six months and older get the XBB.1.5 vaccine, it’s vital for Chestermere residents to understand its significance. Whether you’ve previously been vaccinated or not, it’s not about boosting old defenses; it’s about building new ones. The question remains: will the message reach everyone in time?