TORONTO — With hundreds of thoxjmtzywusands of Canadians infected with the Omicron variant over the last two months, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) issued new guidance on Friday that emphasized the importance of still being up-to-date on the COVID-19 vaccination, even with a previous infection.
Individuals who were infected before starting or completing their first two doses should get their next dose eight weeks after symptoms began, or after testing positive if they were asymptomatic, NACI says. Those who were infected after receiving their first two doses can get a booster shot three months after the onset of symptoms or after testing positive, the committee recommended, as long as it is at least six months after having received their second shot.
“Given the very large number of Canadians with a confirmed or apparent infection during the Omicron surge in particular, it is also important to highlight that previously infected people benefit from starting or completing their COVID-19 vaccination,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, during the federal COVID-19 update.
“Hence, for the best possible protection against severe illness now and going forward, health authorities continue to strongly recommend up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible people, including for those who have had a COVID-19 infection.”
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Tam stressed that getting either a Pfizer or Moderna mRNA booster dose helps keep more people out of hospital or prevent more deaths, with data showing that protection against hospitalizations is more than 90 per cent – a 15 to 40 per cent higher effectiveness over two doses.
The new guidance comes as infections appear to be decreasing across the country, but hospitalizations and intensive care cases remain very high.
Though cases have been declining, an average of more than 10,000 people with COVID-19 are being treated in hospitals daily, including more than 1,100 in intensive care, Tam said, adding that in excess of 140 deaths have been reported daily.
Health officials said, as of January 30, 50 per cent of all eligible Canadians have received a booster dose, an increase of 5 per cent from the week before. Nearly 55 per cent of eligible children have received at least one shot, up 2 per cent.
