Spring COVID-19 vaccines available April 2 for those at high-risk, as virus kills 2 more

Spring COVID-19 vaccine boosters will be available April 2 to New Brunswickers considered most at risk of severe illness.

This includes people aged 65 or older, residents of nursing homes and adult residential facilities, and immunocompromised people aged six months or older, the Department of Health said in a news release Monday.

The announcement comes as the virus killed two more New Brunswickers between March 3 and March 9, and hospitalized 21, one of whom required intensive care.

"COVID-19 is circulating in Canada and elsewhere. Getting vaccinated is an important way to help protect against the impacts of the virus," Dr. Yves Léger, the acting chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.

"In following with recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, the spring booster campaign will be focused on populations at increased risk of severe illness," he said.

Others with fall dose considered up to date

People who do not meet the spring eligibility guidelines but received a fall or winter dose as part of the current vaccination campaign, which began Oct. 16, "are considered fully up to date, and do not require another vaccine this spring," department spokesperson Sean Hatchard told CBC News.

Asked whether people who do not meet the criteria for a spring booster may opt to get one, such as those providing care for a loved one who's considered high risk, Hatchard reiterated the campaign will target New Brunswickers who have personal risk factors for severe illnesses.

Anyone who has not received a COVID vaccine or had a COVID infection within the last six months is encouraged to get a shot soon, said Hatchard.

"This will help ensure they are protected now but also ensure they can meet the criteria for the six-month interval to get a fall vaccine for the next respiratory season," he said in an email.

Dr. Yves Léger, the province's acting chief medical officer of health, said people who didn't get a fall vaccine should get one now. (Government of New Brunswick/Zoom)

Even if you already had COVID-19, and two or more previous vaccine doses, you still benefit from another dose, according to the department's COVID vaccine website.

"The combination of the vaccine and the infection work together to create hybrid immunity," it says. "Hybrid immunity provides strong protection against new variants."

Vaccine protection and hybrid immunity will both wane over time.

Spring doses available until June 15

According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, or NACI, receiving a spring COVID-19 vaccine is "particularly important" for those at increased risk of severe illness who did not receive a dose of the XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine during the fall program.

Public Health recommends that those who are eligible for the spring shot wait at least six months after their last vaccine or COVID-19 infection — whichever is more recent.

Eligible New Brunswickers can start booking appointments on March 25, either online, by calling 1-833-437-1424 or by contacting a participating pharmacy.

The vaccine being used in the spring campaign is the same as the vaccine used in the fall campaign — an mRNA vaccine that targets the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant.

Although health officials had moved away from referring to fall vaccines as "boosters," the spring vaccine can be referred to as a booster "because the eligible group is at higher risk of severe outcomes and it is beneficial for them to 'boost' their immunity," said Hatchard.

The spring campaign for people at increased risk will end on June 15 "so as not to interfere with the fall COVID-19 vaccination campaign," the department news release said.

When asked to confirm if New Brunswick is now moving to an annual fall COVID-19 vaccine for the general population, Hatchard did not answer directly.

"Public Health will review the guidance it receives from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) later this year on the COVID-19 fall campaign and determine what recommendations it will adopt regarding eligibility criteria," he said in an email.

In its updated COVID-19 vaccine guidance, NACI said: "If there is a need for a fall 2024 campaign, jurisdictions may want to consider an end date for the spring 2024 campaign in order to support eligibility for the fall 2024 campaign based on the recommended interval."

"NACI will continue to monitor the evidence, including SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology, [vaccine effectiveness] of XBB.1.5 vaccines and duration of vaccine protection, particularly with regard to severe outcomes, to provide recommendations on the timing of subsequent doses if warranted," the national advisory committee said.

Only about 500 New Brunswickers rolled up their sleeves for a COVID vaccine in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Health.

As of Tuesday, a total of 147,249 XBB.1.5 vaccines have been administered since Oct. 4, up from 146,712 last week.

COVID activity remains 'moderate'

The two people who died from COVID-19 between March 3 and March 9 were both aged 65 or older, Tuesday's Respiratory Watch report shows.

Their deaths raise the pandemic death toll to at least 1,019.

The 21 COVID hospitalizations and one ICU admission are up from 20 and none respectively the previous week.

Of those hospitalized for or with the virus during the reporting week, five were aged 45 to 64, one of whom required intensive care, and the other 16 were aged 65 or older.

Six lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks were declared, down from five. Two were in nursing homes, while the other four were in facilities described only as "other."

Sixty new cases of COVID were confirmed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests, down from 74.

The positivity rate  — or the percentage of lab tests performed that produced a positive result — is five per cent, down from six.

The regional breakdown of positive COVID cases includes:

• Moncton region, Zone 1 — 17.

• Saint John region, Zone 2 — 13.

• Fredericton region, Zone 3 — 16.

• Edmundston region, Zone 4 — two.

• Campbellton region, Zone 5 — zero.

• Bathurst region, Zone 6 — eight.

• Miramichi region, Zone 7 — four.

"COVID-19 activity remains moderate; most indicators (Hospital admissions, ICU admissions, number of outbreaks and number of deaths) remained stable during the current reporting period," the report says.

7 youth among flu hospitalizations

No influenza deaths were recorded between March 3 and March 9, but the flu sent 23 people to hospital, up from 14 in last week's Respiratory Watch report.

None were admitted to intensive care, down from one.

Among those hospitalized were three children under four, four youth aged five to 19, four people aged 20 to 44, two aged 45 to 64, and 10 aged 65 or older.

The 23 people hospitalized by the flu March 3-9, illustrated by the green bar, is higher than the previous week and higher than the historical average of the 2017-18 to 2022-23 respiratory seasons, illustrated by the blue line. (Government of New Brunswick)

Lab tests confirmed 145 new cases of the flu, up from 120. These raise the total number of cases since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27 to 2,897.

The regional breakdown of new cases includes:

• Moncton region, Zone 1 — 57.

• Saint John region, Zone 2 — 24.

• Fredericton region, Zone 3 — 18.

• Edmundston region, Zone 4 — 22.

• Campbellton region, Zone 5 — 14.

• Bathurst region, Zone 6 — 10.

• Miramichi region, Zone 7 — zero.

The breakdown of new cases by type includes 108 influenza B, 28 influenza A (unsubtyped), eight influenza A (H1N1 pdm09) and one influenza A (H3N2).

The positivity rate is 12 per cent, up from 11.

No lab-confirmed influenza outbreaks or school "influenza-like illness" outbreaks were reported.

Influenza activity remains stable, according to the report.

As of Tuesday, a total of 221,808 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu this season, the Department of Health said.

Hospital COVID outbreaks continue

Horizon Health Network has 21 active COVID-19 hospital admissions, as of Saturday, the same number as a week ago, its COVID dashboard shows. One person is in intensive care, up from none.

Six health-care workers are off sick after testing positive for the virus, down from eight.

There were COVID outbreaks at two Horizon hospitals, as of Tuesday. The Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton has outbreaks on the transitional care unit and on the rehabilitation/restorative unit, while the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen has an outbreak on the family medicine unit on Floor 1.

Vitalité Health Network updates its COVID-19 report only monthly, with the next report not expected until March 26.

Its outbreaks page is updated more frequently, however, and shows one outbreak at the Grand Falls General Hospital's multipurpose unit, as of last Friday.