It's time for a more nuanced approach to prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations as more contagious variants become prevalent and a third wave of infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals in some provinces, according to an analysis published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
It's time for a more nuanced approach to prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations as more contagious variants become prevalent and a third wave of infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals in some provinces, according to an analysis published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
“It’s time to move the debate away from age and medical risk factors,” said lead author Finlay McAlister, professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.
“The third wave is showing us that the most vulnerable are people in economically marginalized neighbourhoods where people live and work in close proximity—a group that wasn’t prioritized for vaccination before.”
McAlister and three other authors, including U of A professor of medicine Lynora Saxinger, who co-chairs the scientific advisory group for Alberta Health Services’ COVID-19 Emergency Coordination Centre, analyzed data from the Canadian Community Health Survey for 61,000 Canadian adults. They identified how many have conditions that are recognized as risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking.
Read more at University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Image: Finlay McAlister led an analysis that indicates people in neighbourhoods and workplaces with a higher risk of COVID-19 infections should be prioritized for vaccination as Canada faces a third wave of the pandemic. (Photo taken pre-COVID) (Credit: Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta)
