The National Committee on Immunization (NACI) has given updated recommendations for when to get a COVID-19 vaccine after contracting the virus.
In an update on Friday (Feb. 4), NACI said individuals infected before receiving two doses of vaccine should get their second dose eight weeks after the onset of symptoms or the day they tested positive.
For those who were infected after receiving two doses, NACI recommends getting a booster shot three months after the onset of symptoms or testing positive. NACI added the caveat that it should be at least six months after receiving a second dose before getting a booster.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said that up to Feb. 2, an average of over 10,000 people were being treated in hospital for COVID infections across the country including over 1,100 in ICU.
“The latest data shows that while two doses of COVID-19 vaccine offer reasonably good protection against severe disease, receiving an mRNA booster dose offer superior protection. In general, data shows protection against hospitalization is over 90 per cent with an mRNA booster dose,” Tam said.
Tam said that no vaccine is 100 per cent effective at preventing COVID transmission, so other layers of protection like wearing well-fitted masks, improving ventilation in indoor spaces and social distancing remain crucial to stopping the spread.
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