Shahab hoping the undecided will choose to get vaccinated

Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer continues to preach education about inoculation.

In a conversation with Gormley on Friday, Dr. Saqib Shahab said he expects 10 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population probably will refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Given that the province plans to remove public health restrictions when 70 per cent of residents aged 12 and over get their first dose of a vaccine, that leaves 20 per cent of the population on the fence about getting a shot.

“We may hit our target of 70 per cent in July, but that ongoing discussion to get the 20 per cent remaining to maybe get a final uptake of vaccine first dose (and) second dose higher than 70 per cent — maybe 80, 85 per cent — would really set us up well not only for the summer but also for the fall,” Shahab said.

The doctor said vaccine uptake is a function of the three C’s: Convenience, complacency and confidence.

He admitted getting a shot is more convenient in Saskatchewan’s urban centres, with drive-thru and walk-in clinics and a plethora of pharmacies. The Saskatchewan Health Authority, Shahab said, is doing what it can to make the process easier in rural areas.

Complacency also is more of an issue in smaller communities. Shahab said if people in those areas haven’t seen a lot of COVID cases, they may not think it’s such a big deal — and when it arrives, it takes a serious toll on people who haven’t been jabbed.

As for confidence, it comes back to the 30 per cent who have yet to get vaccinated. Shahab said both the 20 per cent who are unsure about getting immunized and the 10 per cent who don’t plan to get a shot need to have their questions answered.

Shahab said community leaders, faith leaders and health-care providers can help with that.

“Few of us thought that we would have such an effective vaccine so quickly,” Shahab said. “The vaccines are highly effective and I think it would be unfortunate if our uptake was not higher than 70 per cent …

“We need to make sure that everyone understands that this is a great opportunity to protect yourself and protect others and see a high vaccine uptake in all age groups, first dose and second dose.”

During many media events, Shahab has said the province’s seniors have led the way in the vaccination process. He repeated that Friday, pointing out there has been a 91 per cent uptake of first doses among those aged 80 and over, an uptake of 89 per cent in the 70-and-over age group, and an 83 per cent rate among those 60 and over.

To date, there’s also a 71 per cent uptake of second doses in the 80+ age group.

“We are moving to a very safe place in terms of hospitalizations and deaths in people who are older, so that’s good news,” Shahab said.

Now, with everyone 12 and over eligible to get a first dose and more people becoming eligible for a second shot, health officials hope herd immunity can become a factor in Saskatchewan as the province prepares to ease public health measures.

For Shahab, herd immunity will become prevalent only if more people get vaccinated.

“If you have 70 per cent uptake in 12 and older, we still have maybe 300,000 people unvaccinated (among those in the province aged) 12 and older,” he said. “If they interact with like-minded folks, you could still see large ‘super-spreading’ events.

“Other provinces have seen surges. While the overall number is low, once public health measures end, that’s where the danger lies.”