Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
As provinces and territories work to inoculate their populations against COVID-19, questions are swirling over whether booster shots will soon be required for individuals to be considered 鈥渇ully vaccinated.鈥
In October, Israel announced that those with two doses of a COVID-19 shot would not be considered 鈥渇ully vaccinated鈥 unless they got a third jab.
What鈥檚 more, last month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced people 65 and over would need to present proof of a COVID-19 booster shot by mid-December in order to receive their vaccination passport.
Currently, booster shots are not required in Canada to receive a vaccination passport, but campaigns are underway across the country to offer third doses to those most vulnerable to the disease.
Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine is an epidemiologist in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Asked by CTV鈥檚 Your Morning whether booster shots could become a requirement in Canada in order to be considered fully vaccinated, Muhajarine said it is an 鈥渆volving situation.鈥
He said the reason both Israel and France are now requiring booster shots in order for residents to considered fully vaccinated is because they began offering the third doses earlier than Canada.
鈥淪o they have had a long experience in boosting their population compared to Canada,鈥 he explained. 鈥淭hat being said, I think, you know, give it two, three months, I can鈥檛 see how we will not follow a similar approach to Israel, and that is people who are eligible to get a third shot and completed that would be considered fully vaccinated at that time.鈥
However, Muhajarine said that won鈥檛 happen for a while.
鈥淚 think because there is a wide variety of ways that provinces [are] introducing their booster eligibility,鈥 he said.
Muhajarine pointed to Saskatchewan which lowered its booster eligibility age to 50 on Tuesday.
Officials in the province announced COVID-19 boosters would be available for healthcare workers and residents 50 and older in Saskatchewan, and to anyone 18 or older who is living in the far north or in First Nations communities.
Researchers have found that the immunity from two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine wanes over time, meaning Canadians will require another dose to 鈥渂oost鈥 their immunity to the virus.
Asked whether the public will need booster shots every six months for the foreseeable future, Muhajarine said 鈥淚 would think so.鈥
He said the growing consensus is that COVID-19 is 鈥渉ere to stay with us for a while.鈥
鈥淎nd it will, kind of revolve into endemic situation meaning, low incidence or prevalence of this COVID-19, and it will become like a seasonal flu, hopefully,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd so, in order to actually protect ourselves, we would probably need to boost our immune system, seasonally speaking even from time to time.鈥
He said that is 鈥減robably the direction we are headed right now.鈥
The National Advisory Committee for Immunization (NACI) released updated guidance last week, outlining several sections of the Canadian population that it said should receive a booster shot at least six months after having had their primary vaccine series.
NACI said it 鈥渟trongly recommends鈥 an mRNA booster shot be offered to those over 50, seniors living in long-term care homes and other congregate living facilities, and to those who received a viral vector COVID-19 vaccine series such as AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.
The committee also said it strongly recommends First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples and frontline healthcare workers should also be provided a booster shot.
NACI has also recommended booster doses for those between the ages of 18 and 49, at least six months after they received their primary vaccine series.
While NACI issues guidance and recommendations, it is ultimately up to provinces and territories to decide how vaccine rollout will work within their jurisdiction.
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
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