Should you get your 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose now? Alberta experts weigh in – CBC

All Albertans 18 and up are now eligible for a second booster

Jul 20, 2022

Deciding whether or not to roll up your sleeve for a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine now or wait for new vaccines later on will be a calculation of risk for many Albertans, according to some doctors and scientists. Others, though, are urging people to get that shot right away.

Starting July 20, everyone 18 and over is eligible for a second booster as long as they wait five months after their last dose.

The change, announced Tuesday by the provincial government, comes when COVID transmission is rising in Alberta and the more transmissible BA.5 subvariant has taken over.

“With the combination of waning immunity and increased viral transmission, now is the right time for a number of people to consider getting that extra booster shot to make sure their immunity is as high as possible,” said Craig Jenne, associate professor of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.

According to Jenne, that includes both people who are at high risk due to underlying health conditions and those who may be involved in higher risk activities such as travel.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-second-booster-dilemma-1.6526423

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