With only four new COVID-19 cases reported in Simcoe Muskoka on Tuesday, the lowest number in a 24 hour period since September, the region’s top doctor is concerned the local vaccination campaign may have hit somewhat of a plateau.
According the local health unit, 74 per cent of adults 18 years and older living in Simcoe Muskoka have had at least one dose of vaccine and 21 per cent have received two doses. Among youth 12 to 17 years of age, 54 per cent have received one jab.
“When we look at the number of bookings that we have coming and where the vaccine is going, maybe 90 per cent of the most recent administration of vaccine is on people for their second doses,” said Simcoe Muskoka Medical Officer of Health Dr. Charles Gardner. “When we look out into the future, the number of people who have booked for first doses gets much smaller than it had been before.”
Gardner believes the region is going to be very challenged in its ability to reach 80 per cent coverage of the eligible population as a whole who have received both doses unless they can turn that around.
Last week, the provincial government expanded its list of delta variant hot spots from seven to 10 to include Simcoe Muskoka.
“I think we are now starting to experience perhaps the hesitancy that we knew would eventually come as we’ve gone through those who are most willing or able to get their first dose,” added Gardner. “We are going to need to work harder to reach others.”
The health unit is preparing to launch a media and social media campaign about vaccine hesitancy in July.
Gardner said they will also have to be open to other solutions.
“We know that certain groups have a lower coverage rate, so far. Lower income, higher material deprivation, neighbourhoods with a higher degree of cultural diversity have a lower coverage rate.”
Gardner said men have a lower coverage rate than women and younger people have a lower coverage rate than older people.
“We really want to get the coverage rate up in youth and young adults in order to provide a safe school environment and safe work environment, and also to really help with herd immunity to reduce the time of transmission that happens through the population.”
He admits the health unit is going to have its work cut out on this.
Gardner was asked what happens if Simcoe Muskoka fails to reach that 80 per cent threshold.
“You want a higher coverage rate to reduce that circulation in the community, and then collectively, we want freer lives and the ability to reduce and discontinue public health measures, and the ability to do so will be challenged if we don’t achieve herd immunity.”
There has been a 54 per cent spike in probable or presumed cases of the Delta variant in Simcoe Muskoka.
Delta seems to be around 60 per cent more transmissible than the highly infectious Alpha variant and is moderately resistant to vaccines, especially in people who have received just a single dose.
Region's top doc says Simcoe Muskoka has hit a plateau in number of first dose COVID vaccinations – Barrie 360 - Barrie 360
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