New Alberta COVID data highlights value of getting newly formulated vaccine once available: expert

globalnews.ca:

COVID-19 vaccines modified to target a more recent strain of the illness, an infectious disease expert says the latest provincial data underscores why getting a booster shot is a good idea once the new one is available.“Even with vaccines, COVID is worse than the flu, and the numbers bear that out,” said Dr. Craig Jenne, a professor at the University of Calgary.

“It is a more severe virus.”The latest data published on the Alberta respiratory virus dashboard show that between August 2023 and August 2024, 732 deaths in Alberta were attributed to COVID-19 while 177 were linked to influenza.“We’ve lost more than four times the number of people to COVID than we did to the flu this year,” Jenne pointed out. “And keep in mind this year was a record number of flu deaths as well.“We now have this double hit of respiratory viruses and both of them can cause significant illness and loss of life.”Between August 2023 and August 2024, a total of 23,933 COVID-19 cases were confirmed, along with 16,229 flu cases.

The most recent reporting period for which data is posted — Aug. 18 to Aug.

24 — shows 285 new coronavirus cases were recorded in that time frame compared to three new flu cases. Also in that reporting period, four more deaths were linked to COVID-19 while none were connected to the flu.Jenne recommends Albertans be vaccinated against both illnesses and noted it is safe to be vaccinated for both at the same time.Randy Howden, the president of the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, told Global News that pharmacists were instructed not to administer any existing COVID-19 vaccines as of Aug.