Infectious disease expert addresses most common pandemic questions
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch addressed pandemic questions in an interview with CTV News.
THIRD COVID-19 DOSES
Most people want to know when they will be eligible for their third COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Dr. Bogoch says for most adults, a third dose will be necessary in the future, but not now.
However, he says there are some segments of the population who do need the additional shot.
"We know third doses are going into people with compromised immune systems," he says.
Dr. Bogoch went on to say the province may release more information on its third dose strategy soon, but it would likely begin with the community-dwelling senior population, healthcare workers and Indigenous communities.
Dr. Bogoch believes there will be an expansion to other groups in the future.
"I think it's fair to say that most adults will be eligible for the third dose probably six to 10 months after their second dose, "Bogoch notes.
According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, anyone who got two shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine needs to get an mRNA booster shot six months after their second dose.
Dr. Bogoch says research shows that Canadians who got the shot or went south of the border for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would benefit from an mRNA vaccine as an additional dose to provide them with a greater level of protection.
BREAKTHROUGH CASES
Dr. Bogoch says breakthrough infections are not uncommon.
"We knew this long before the Delta variant even emerged. We seen this in the first clinical trials. These vaccines are not 100 per cent protective against getting COVID-19," Dr. Bogoch says.
The infectious disease expert adds that it's important to understand that we are two doses into a three-dose vaccine series, and breakthrough cases will occur in large populations.
For those who recovered from COVID-19, Dr. Bogoch says they have a certain level of immunity for a while, but it is unclear how long.
"There are very good studies that demonstrate that protection from vaccination is significantly better than protection from COVID-19 from recovery after infection. The odds of having a severe infection are five times less in people who have been vaccinated versus those who have immunity from recovering from infection," he says.
Dr. Bogoch urges those who have recovered to get vaccinated to avoid severe symptoms.
NEW COVID-19 VACCINE NOVAVAX
A new vaccine could soon join the approved vaccines in Canada called Novavax.
Dr. Bogoch says that it's an interesting option because it's not an mRNA vaccine and adds that a study with over 30,000 people looked promising, with 90 per cent efficacy.
According to Dr. Bogoch, the Novavax vaccine doesn't need cold storage like the mRNA vaccines and can be mass-produced in Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.