Eligibility for second doses of COVID-19 vaccinations opens up today to include anyone who got their first shot more than 4 weeks, or 28 days, ago.
In Sackville, the Corner Drug Store and Jean Coutu pharmacies continue to offer first and second doses, however the Vitalité Health Network clinics are the Tantramar Civic Centre are on pause until July 14.
But Sackvillians may not have to worry about reduced capacity locally for vaccinations, since according to local pharmacist Charles Beaver, the RHA, public health and Corner Drug Store are collaborating to ramp up capacity at the Sackville pharmacy.
Here’s Charles Beaver in conversation on Tantramar Report:
“We’re working with Public Health to partner and provide local access at the at the Corner Drug Store site,” says Beaver. “Plans are in the making. And we’re very hopeful that as soon as June 28, there’ll be a lot more access available locally.”
Despite eligibility opening up today, the local second dose rollout will take some time, says Beaver. “It would be impossible to do everybody who was done more than 28 days ago, all in a week, or two weeks, or even three weeks.” Unless there are special medical circumstances, the pharmacy is booking second dose appointments in the order that people received their first dose, focussing on earlier first doses getting an earlier second dose.
Beaver says the increased collaboration with public health will mean more access to vaccine doses, which has been a limiting factor until now, and also to provide more qualified vaccinators. Corner Drug Store hired additional staff back in March to help administer doses, and has given out more than 3,000 shots.
“Our people have been working hard for months now,” says Beaver, “and we just don’t have enough people to provide service five days of the week, every week, every day, all day. By working with Public Health, we will have vaccinators that they send on perhaps one or two days of the week, working at our site at Corner Drug Store.”
TO MODERNA OR TO PFIZER, THAT IS THE QUESTION
Recently Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell has been hammering home the idea that the two mRNA vaccines approved in Canada, Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech, are interchangeable in terms of first and second doses. That’s a key recommendation considering supplies of both types, and approved age groups for each.
Supplies of Moderna are booming in New Brunswick, but the Moderna brand has not yet been approved for use on people under 18. That creates a challenge as the first dose rollout continues, especially for those in the 12 to 17 years old category.
Beaver explains that’s why people who are over 18 and received Pfizer as their first dose are being offered a second dose of Moderna instead.
“This will do two things, it will give them access to their dose two sooner because of the increased supply of Moderna. But it will also free up what Pfizer we do have available for people who can’t use anything but Pfizer. That would include people from age 12 to 17 and also the very rare but possible persons who have an allergy to a component of another vaccine and can only take Pfizer.”
At the Corner Drug Store website, people can register for a dose 1 or dose 2 vaccination, and choose the type of vaccine they want to received. People will go on a waitlist for whatever they choose, and be contacted by the Corner Drug as soon as an appointment opens up for them.
“I would suggest Moderna, regardless of what brand you may have gotten the first time, is a very safe, effective and more readily available option,” says Beaver. Choosing a Moderna does “will actually get a person vaccinated sooner,” says Beaver, because of the plentiful supply.
Access to a speedy second dose will be important as the province relaxes travel restrictions, and the Atlantic Bubble reforms this week.
“Not to be dramatic, but the Delta variant is very aggressive,” says Beaver. “We now know that one dose of vaccine, while effective against other strains of COVID-19, is really not that effective against the Delta variant, roughly perhaps 30% effective.” Two doses, on the other hand, have shown to be 70%, 80% and even higher percentages effective at preventing illness from the Delta variants, says Beaver.
Appointments are also available for clinics run by Horizon and Vitalité in the Moncton area. To register for an RHA clinic, go here or call 1-833-437-1424.