The Alberta government announced the opening of COVID-19 vaccine boosters to all Albertans aged 18 and older through the launch of an “ambitious” booster shot campaign..The announcement comes Tuesday as the government looks to protect Albertans from the rapid spread of the Omicron variant..Within minutes of the announcement, the vaccine booking system on the Government of Alberta website crashed and has since been available for booking intermittently. The booking system, when working, is also seeing lengthy queues of more than one thousand users at a time..“Starting immediately, all Albertans aged 18 and up who received their second COVID-19 vaccine at least five months ago, can now book a third dose,” said the government in a press release..“There is still a lot that we don’t know about Omicron. But one thing we do know is that the most powerful protection from this highly contagious variant is to get a booster shot. I urge all Albertans to step up and protect themselves and the health-care system with a booster as soon as they can,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney..Although the severity of Omicron is not known, it’s clear it has an increased risk of transmission..“Albertans who choose to get a third dose and make use of rapid tests are doing their part to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Minister of Health Jason Copping..In an effort to protect against severe outcomes, the province is encouraging Albertans to take the first mRNA vaccine available to them as a booster. .“Third doses are especially important to protect against the Omicron variant,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health..“Vaccines continue to be our best protection against COVID-19 and with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, I encourage all eligible Albertans to book their first, second and third doses as soon as they are eligible.”.According to the government, as there is a slightly increased risk of myocarditis in younger Albertans from Moderna, especially in males, the Pfizer vaccine is being offered to Albertans 18 to 29 years of age for booster purposes..The province advises: “individuals are much more likely to experience myocarditis from COVID-19 infection than the vaccine.”.For those aged 18 and older and who have had their second COVID-19 shot five months ago or longer can book their third booster at participating pharmacies or through AHS’ Alberta vaccine booking system..According to recent reports, there are now 1,609 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Alberta..Melanie Risdon is a reporter for the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
