'Quit being jerks': N.S. lung transplant patient urges health officials to green light second booster
A celebrated lung transplant patient is urging Nova Scotia health officials to green light a fourth COVID-19 shot for him soon -- or he'll fly to Toronto and get it there.
In fact, that's how John Dennis says he got his third shot, and that the province paid for it, though health officials dispute his claim.
The 77-year-old received a single lung in a transplant operation in Toronto on March 12, 2021.
Dennis describes his surgery and recovery as "fantastic."
Living independently at Northwood, a long-term care home in Halifax, he says he has heard as many as half-a-dozen residents have been infected with COVID-19 recently -- a terrifying prospect for Dennis, who's considered the oldest living lung transplant patient in Nova Scotia.
His wife, Penny, died of COVID-19 complications during the first wave in 2020.
Dennis has spoken to CTV News before about vaccination mandates for workers in long-term care facilities.
Anxious to avoid the virus, Dennis got his first two shots in Nova Scotia as soon as he was eligible, but he was worried it was taking too long to get his booster.
The transplant team in Toronto agreed, so he flew there in September for a hospital appointment he says took all of 15 minutes.
"I had to go up in the morning, get the shot, get back to the airport, and fly home all in the same day," he says.
Because it was a medical expense, Dennis submitted a claim to the province and his bank account shows a $1,000 payment on Sept. 22, 2021.
Now, four-and-a-half months later, he's anxious to get shot number four, but says that's proving to be a problem.
"I'm immune-suppressed, and my antibody count is down, and I'm concerned," he says.
"I cannot afford to get sick and get COVID. It could kill me."
Earlier this month, Ontario announced it would offer fourth doses to immunocompromised individuals, but other provinces haven't followed suit.
"We cannot speak to specific circumstances, but Nova Scotia follows the advice and recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)," says an emailed statement from Marla MacInnis, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Wellness.
"Once NACI provided their recommendations on third doses, we moved quickly to offer them to eligible Nova Scotians, with priority given to those in long-term care facilities."
“NACI has not recommended a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and so fourth doses are not being offered in Nova Scotia at this time," reads the statement, which also adds that the province doesn’t pay for people to leave Nova Scotia for a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Lung Association of Nova Scotia says it's been hearing from other patients with similar concerns.
"Given that this is a respiratory illness and these people are already dealing with compromised lung health, we can definitely understand why people are concerned," says Michelle Donaldson, communications and special projects manager for the association.
CTV News tried to verify the number of residents with COVID-19 at Northwood Towers Monday, but the information wasn't available.
"As independent tenants, they are not obliged to share their COVID-19 status with us," said communications and marketing specialist Murray Stenton via email.
"If tenants have shared that information, we have provided them with the Public Health guidelines for isolation and testing."
Dennis says he won't hesitate to go back to Toronto to get the shot that's available at nearly every pharmacy in Nova Scotia-- and he'll apply for reimbursement.
"That's part of my healthcare treatment, and therefore it is covered, and I'd fight them in court for it if I had to,” he says.
"Quit being jerks. Give me my shot and get it over with and let us live our lives in peace."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.