'I just want to make sure I’m safe,' demand for COVID-19 booster on the rise in Maritimes

Halifax -

Demand for booster shots is on the rise in the Maritimes.

They were brought in to boost waning immunity over time, and the rollout is being ramped up in our region, although not fast enough for some.

Jeannette Richard’s walker didn’t slow her down, the 90-year-old was ready to go and ahead of most people in Nova Scotia in the race to get a booster shot Tuesday.

“I just want to make sure I’m safe,” she said. 

Rod Petersen logged online at 2 a.m. to search for an appointment. Half a day later, he got his third shot at a pharmacy in Halifax. 

“Cause I’m paranoid as hell. Because I’m familiar with reality and I wanted it, I needed it as soon as possible,” Petersen said.  

Pharmacies in Nova Scotia are opening up more appointments where they can as the Omicron variant arrives for the holidays. 

“We know now there’s a bit of urgency people are feeling the uncertainty again,” said Diane Harpell who is with the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia.

While more than five per cent of Nova Scotians have had a third dose, nearly 10 per cent of New Brunswickers have received their booster. In that province, bookings are open to people 50 and up and those in high risk groups whereas in Nova Scotia, people currently have to be high risk or 60 and older to book a booster. 

New Brunswick’s Health Minister Dorothy Shephard used some of her time on the floor of the legislature Tuesday to promote walk-in clinics, adding that the province has put out a call to nursing students, doctors and physiotherapists with acupuncture experience to try to staff more clinics over the holidays. 

“We want to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” Shephard said. 

In Monday’s COVID-19 briefing, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health was asked whether there was a need to ramp up eligibility for booster shots. Dr. Strang said for people 50 and under, there is no evidence they have increased risk from waning immunity. 

Dr. Strang said ultimately that age cohort will be eligible for a booster dose but right now the focus needs to be on kids aged five to 11 who haven’t received a their primary series, and the immunocompromised who need a third dose and those sixty and older who are at increased risk for waning immunity and increased risk for severe disease. 

“I’m getting lots of emails from people 30, 40, whatever. Be patient. You’re not vulnerable,” Dr. Strang said. “The vaccine in the next few weeks needs to go to those who are more vulnerable. You will get your turn.”

When asked about battling Omicron, infectious disease expert Dr. Lisa Barrett notes studies are underway. 

Barrett says test tube data shows vaccines do protect against the Omicron variant above the level the World Health Organization would consider to be an effective vaccine. 

“The real world data outside the test tube does suggest that there is quite a significant decrease in the ability of the vaccine to protect from Omicron for just general infection but it does still seem again to be quite protective for its ability to prevent death and hospitalization,” Barrett said. 

She adds people have lots of other tools to help protect against Omicron, such as testing, masks and limiting social contacts to a small and consistent group are important.

“And also we’re still learning what the impact of the boosters are on Omicron. We don’t have all that data yet and it’s not an easy silver bullet fix for protection from Omicron to just get a third dose. Important but won’t fix all the rest of it,” Barrett said.