Second COVID shot may be delayed
Shahab says waiting up to four months could allow more people to get first dose
Saskatchewan officials are considering waiting longer to administer second doses to allow more people to get their first dose as quickly as possible.
Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, said during a news conference Tuesday that the province is considering waiting up to four months before administering second doses to many.
He pointed to positive data coming out of the United Kingdom, Quebec and British Columbia, which have all widened the gap between giving first and second doses to three to four months.
“That will really accelerate our first dose program,” Shahab said of waiting up to four months in between doses.
“If we are able to do that, we can see most of our population 18 and over potentially getting a first dose by June.”
The data also shows a high efficacy rate after just a single dose, no matter which vaccine is given. Shahab said this has also been a key consideration for health officials as they try to maximize both the amount of people getting vaccinated and individual benefit.
Especially as the potential for a third wave of the pandemic driven by variants of concern remains, Shahab said getting a single dose into as many people as possible quickly seems to be the best way forward.
“This will help us prevent a potentially devastating variant-fuelled third wave and will also maximize population level protection at no sacrifice to individual protection,” he said.
With the combination of more vaccines being rolled out and the slow decline in daily cases and test positivity rate in the province, Premier Scott Moe said the province is “close” to relaxing some of its restrictions.
Saskatchewan expects to receive 110,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna combined in March, with an additional 15,000 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine, which was approved by Health Canada on Friday.
Moe particularly hinted the rules around household gatherings could be loosened somewhat, while still remaining cautious around the threat of variants.
The premier said waiting four months before giving second vaccine shots is a “game changer” on how soon the province could begin to look at “taking some very serious strides to getting life back to normal.”
If everyone who wanted to get the vaccine had their first shot by the end of June — or even early June, depending on if other vaccines are approved — a lot of restrictions could begin to lift.
The current set of restrictions is set to expire on March 19, and Moe said the province is looking at what changes can be made in the short term.
Shahab said updates are also being made to the province's vaccine delivery plan now that the Astrazeneca vaccine has been approved. While the vaccine has been licensed for use in everyone ages 18 and up, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization is only recommending it for ages 18 to 64.
In its decision to approve the vaccine, Health Canada said results from clinical trial data “were too limited to allow a reliable estimate of vaccine efficacy in individuals 65 years of age and older.” However, it noted that existing data do not show any safety issues with the vaccine.
“Efficacy in this age group will be updated as additional data becomes available from currently ongoing trials,” the decision said.
VACCINES REACH EVERY LONG-TERM CARE HOME
Every resident in a Saskatchewan long-term care home who wanted the COVID -19 vaccine has now had their first shot and more than half are fully immunized, according to the province.
Uptake of the vaccine was high, with 91 per cent of residents choosing to receive the vaccine. Out of those residents, 53 per cent have received both their first and second doses.
“Nine per cent of long-term care home residents were not immunized due to a variety of circumstances, such as the availability of residents at the time of vaccination, refusal to take the vaccine or a change in health status,” the provincial government said in a news release Tuesday.
Saskatchewan also reported two more deaths and 134 new cases on Tuesday.