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Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...-of-covid-19-in-canada-experts-warn-1.5560876
Vaccines not enough to stop fourth wave of COVID-19 in Canada, experts warn
Brooke Taylor
CTVNews.ca Writer
Published Wednesday, August 25, 2021 1:55PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, August 25, 2021 1:55PM EDT
TORONTO -- Canadians need to use all public health tools available, including masking, physical distance and testing, to avoid lockdowns and protect the unvaccinated as a fourth wave of COVID-19 grips the country, infectious disease experts say.
With more than 10 million Canadians unvaccinated against COVID-19, the chances of more widespread lockdowns are possible as some provinces’ hospital systems remain strained from earlier waves of the pandemic.
“We can't ignore that there are literally millions of people in Ontario, and in Canada, that are unvaccinated,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist and member of Ontario’s vaccine task force, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Even if all eligible Canadians got their shots, there would still be nearly five million Canadians who are not eligible to be vaccinated who would be at heightened risk, especially as the more transmissible Delta variant takes hold.
“We’ll do OK if we can limit the pace of community transmission, but that’s tough to do,” he said. “If we have a lot of people get infected in a short period of time – that could happen with the Delta variant – we will put pressure on our health-care system, we will stretch our health-care system, there are literally millions of people that can be infected.”...
Vaccines not enough to stop fourth wave of COVID-19 in Canada, experts warn
Brooke Taylor
CTVNews.ca Writer
Published Wednesday, August 25, 2021 1:55PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, August 25, 2021 1:55PM EDT
TORONTO -- Canadians need to use all public health tools available, including masking, physical distance and testing, to avoid lockdowns and protect the unvaccinated as a fourth wave of COVID-19 grips the country, infectious disease experts say.
With more than 10 million Canadians unvaccinated against COVID-19, the chances of more widespread lockdowns are possible as some provinces’ hospital systems remain strained from earlier waves of the pandemic.
“We can't ignore that there are literally millions of people in Ontario, and in Canada, that are unvaccinated,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist and member of Ontario’s vaccine task force, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Even if all eligible Canadians got their shots, there would still be nearly five million Canadians who are not eligible to be vaccinated who would be at heightened risk, especially as the more transmissible Delta variant takes hold.
“We’ll do OK if we can limit the pace of community transmission, but that’s tough to do,” he said. “If we have a lot of people get infected in a short period of time – that could happen with the Delta variant – we will put pressure on our health-care system, we will stretch our health-care system, there are literally millions of people that can be infected.”...