Canada's third wave on track to become its worst yet as hospitalizations spike and the vaccine rollout will not slow the rapid growth in cases

[timesharer]

Are Europe and Canada having the 3rd wave, while US is having the 4th wave now? It seems the 3rd wave is the worst in US.
Canada's third wave on track to become its worst yet as hospitalizations spike - CNN

I do not understand why there are more waves after so many people got vaccinated in Europe, Canada, and US.

 

["Roger"]

So far, European vaccinations have been very low. The US took the lion's share of the vaccines available and Europe is just beginning to roll out a massive vaccine program. The spread there has been relatively uneven. Spain and Portugal, for example, are doing relatively well. They have been total lockdown countries.

As far as the US goes, it is a combination of two factors. Pandemic fatigue with people have gotten less careful, particularly younger people. Add to that, the B.117 (British) variant has taken hold. It is 60% more contagious. (I can't find it now, but I saw a statewide set of graphs showing total new cases with the number of those that were the new variant. Eyeballing it, it appeared in some states about 80% of the new cases were the new variant.)

I can't speak for Canada.

 

[VegasBella]

The main reason is that even in the countries with the fastest vaccine rollout, there still aren't enough vaccinated people to provide herd immunity.

I think the reasons for these additional waves are:
- variant B-117 is more contagious, spreads more easily
- 'lockdown fatigue' wherein people are simply willing to take more chances than they were before
- many places lifted restrictions so there's simply more indoor dining and other risky activities available
- many places reopened schools. Kids transmit this virus and schools are breeding grounds
- vaccines may make some people less cautious, taking risks before 2 weeks after second dose or assuming other vaxxed people around them are protecting them
- not all vaccines are as protective as others
- there isn't fast vaccine rollout in most of the world
- colder places might have kept more people clustered indoors rather than outdoors
- colder weather places may use less fresh air ventilation than they should use to prevent COVID

 

[moonstone]

Part of the problem is that there are not so many vaccinated people in Canada. The new variant strain seems to be hitting the younger folks. I read somewhere recently that we were #47th in the world for percentage of population vaccinated.
Only 15.22% of the population of Canada have had one shot and only 1.8% have had both shots, most of which are health care workers. ( COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada - Canada.ca ) Our Prime Minister & his government were slow on the ordering and securing of vaccine last fall and supplies are still slow in arriving.

We are thankful that we were able to get our first shot in Belize last month and in the next week or so when others our age around here are getting their first shot we will get our second. Lots of Canadian Snowbirds got one or both of their shots in Florida or other southern states, months ahead of when they could get it up here.


~Diane

 

[am1]

Because the US is hoarding vaccines that could be better used elsewhere. Hopefully that is not forgotten.

 

[bizaro86]

Part of the problem is that there are not so many vaccinated people in Canada. The new variant strain seems to be hitting the younger folks.

A big reason that the new strain is hitting more younger people as a percentage is that the very old are mostly vaccinated. My father in law (late 70s) got his second dose last week, and basically all long term care residents have two. Plus any seniors who want it should have 1 by now.

 

[nerodog]

So far, European vaccinations have been very low. The US took the lion's share of the vaccines available and Europe is just beginning to roll out a massive vaccine program. The spread there has been relatively uneven. Spain and Portugal, for example, are doing relatively well. They have been total lockdown countries.

As far as the US goes, it is a combination of two factors. Pandemic fatigue with people have gotten less careful, particularly younger people. Add to that, the B.117 (British) variant has taken hold. It is 60% more contagious. (I can't find it now, but I saw a statewide set of graphs showing total new cases with the number of those that were the new variant. Eyeballing it, it appeared in some states about 80% of the new cases were the new variant.)

I can't speak for Canada.

Hi, I'm in Portugal and what seems to have happened is the EU did not make as many bulk purchases. They wanted to save a bit so focused more on Astra Z although Pfizer is here as well. The big issue after a lockdown since mid January, Portugal is reopening slowly. I fear the reopening not in concert with as many vaccines may spell troubl and back to square one. Right now 65 yrs and up have started but quite slow rollout. I'm beyond frustrated as if I end up with Astra, it's a 12 week wait till second shot. Pfizer is still w1 days. Astra now won't be available for anyone under 60 yrs so it looks possible that might be left for us over 60s. Ugh. Very low tourism at this time, many restrictions for entering country and leaving.

 

[nerodog]

Because the US is hoarding vaccines that could be better used elsewhere. Hopefully that is not forgotten.

It's not hoarding , it's buying up a big supply for a nation that was really suffering in my opinion.

 

[Passepartout]

Because the US is hoarding vaccines that could be better used elsewhere. Hopefully that is not forgotten.

That's REALLY B.S! The U.S. was the home of the largest sickness and death toll in the world, caused by the inactivity of the leaders at the time. Since new leaders took over, the US rejoined WHO, ramped up production- funded by America, and has begun shipping vaccines- that were tested on and approved BY Americans- all over the world. Sure, America is leading in vaccinations, but be sure, when the world gets vaccinated, the vast majority of it will be with American produced vaccine.

Jim

 

[bluehende]

US Loans Vaccines To Mexico, Canada : The NPR Politics Podcast

AstraZeneca's vaccine has not been authorized for use in the United States, but the nation has millions of doses in its stockpile. Now, the Biden administration has announced it will loan some of those doses to Mexico and Canada. And a delay in 2020 census tallies is posing problems for states...

www.npr.org

 

[CO skier]

It's not hoarding , it's buying up a big supply for a nation that was really suffering in my opinion.

That's REALLY B.S! The U.S. was the home of the largest sickness and death toll in the world,

The U.S. has one of the largest populations in the world, but currently ranks only 14th as measured by deaths per million population, about where it has been since last fall. "Largest" death toll depends on what yardstick is used. Rate per million puts large and small countries on the same scale.

On February 12th, the Biden administration announced the purchase of 200 million more Moderna and Pfizer Covid vaccine doses bringing the total purchase to 600 million doses -- enough to vaccinate 300 million. That is a very high covid vaccine per capita availability. Some may think this is a disproportionate share of the world's supply.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Because the US is hoarding vaccines that could be better used elsewhere. Hopefully that is not forgotten.

last fall I listen to a (Canada)CBC radio program on vaccine. This was before any vaccines were yet in distribution.
The data at that point was that in 2021 the world’s production capacity to produce vaccine would cover about
12% of the world’s population.

How those doses are distributed may be deemed inequitable.
I would not use the term “ hoarding” to describe 2021 worldwide vaccine distribution.
Hoarding in my opinion involves keeping in storage - rather than distributing.
**********
Right this moment I am watching Face the Nation on Sunday morning TV (April 12-2021)

Sat April 10 - 4.6 million doses administered in USA - one day
USA to date - 70 million total fully vaccinated and 117 million with one dose

This coming week vaccines in USA will be in shorter supply due to the NJ production plant issues
that caused 15 million J&J doses to be thrown out.

The USA has shared 1.5 million AstraZeneca with Canada & 2.5 million with Mexico .
************
If in 2022 or even fall 2021 - the USA has basically vaccinated every American who wishes to be vaccinated
and unused vaccine is in storage while countries such as Haiti remain without vaccine; then ask why .......

 

[CO skier]

If in 2022 or even fall 2021 - the USA has basically vaccinated every American who wishes to be vaccinated
and unused vaccine is in storage while countries such as Haiti remain without vaccine; then ask why .......

Ah, another America First policy.

 

[nerodog]

That's REALLY B.S! The U.S. was the home of the largest sickness and death toll in the world, caused by the inactivity of the leaders at the time. Since new leaders took over, the US rejoined WHO, ramped up production- funded by America, and has begun shipping vaccines- that were tested on and approved BY Americans- all over the world. Sure, America is leading in vaccinations, but be sure, when the world gets vaccinated, the vast majority of it will be with American produced vaccine.

Jim

Agree wholeheartedly.

 

[nerodog]

last fall I listen to a (Canada)CBC radio program on vaccine. This was before any vaccines were yet in distribution.
The data at that point was that in 2021 the world’s production capacity to produce vaccine would cover about
12% of the world’s population.

How those doses are distributed may be deemed inequitable.
I would not use the term “ hoarding” to describe 2021 worldwide vaccine distribution.
Hoarding in my opinion involves keeping in storage - rather than distributing.
**********
Right this moment I am watching Face the Nation on Sunday morning TV (April 12-2021)

Sat April 10 - 4.6 million doses administered in USA - one day
USA to date - 70 million total fully vaccinated and 117 million with one dose

This coming week vaccines in USA will be in shorter supply due to the NJ production plant issues
that caused 15 million J&J doses to be thrown out.

The USA has shared 1.5 million AstraZeneca with Canada & 2.5 million with Mexico .
************
If in 2022 or even fall 2021 - the USA has basically vaccinated every American who wishes to be vaccinated
and unused vaccine is in storage while countries such as Haiti remain without vaccine; then ask why .......

Yes I was going to mention the sharing of Astra Z with Canada and Mexico from USA.

 

[nerodog]

That's REALLY B.S! The U.S. was the home of the largest sickness and death toll in the world, caused by the inactivity of the leaders at the time. Since new leaders took over, the US rejoined WHO, ramped up production- funded by America, and has begun shipping vaccines- that were tested on and approved BY Americans- all over the world. Sure, America is leading in vaccinations, but be sure, when the world gets vaccinated, the vast majority of it will be with American produced vaccine.

Jim

The USA will probably resume its role as the Public health experts and share with the world .

 

[bluehende]

On Meet the Press Secretary of State Blinken just announced that plans are being made how to use America's excess supply, expected in a matter of weeks, to be distributed world wide.

 

[Passepartout]

The USA has shared 1.5 million AstraZeneca with Canada & 2.5 million with Mexico .
************
If in 2022 or even fall 2021 - the USA has basically vaccinated every American who wishes to be vaccinated
and unused vaccine is in storage while countries such as Haiti remain without vaccine; then ask why .......

According to the Sec of State, the US's first priority is to protect Americans. Many of the world's poorest countries did/do not have the resources or leadership to secure vaccines to their own people. When all is said and done, America WILL provide not only vaccines, but the personnel and expertise to administer them. But now, only a few months into protecting as many people as possible, we'll protect Americans, followed by places Americans wish to travel (Canada, Mexico, then Western Europe). And finally to more isolated societies and the poorer places where, like it or not, few Americans travel- and those who do understand the risks involved, and vaccinate for that eventuality.

I don't think anybody is singling out Haiti. They'll get vaxx'd in good time, but there are higher priority populations ahead of them.

 

[am1]

America first policy will result in more worldwide deaths. Other countries have purchased vaccines but the United States has no problem jumping the line to get all of theirs first. Disappointing as I thought we were all in this together. I expected nothing less from the old administration. But this new one.

 

[Passepartout]

America first policy will result in more worldwide deaths. Other countries have purchased vaccines but the United States has no problem jumping the line to get all of theirs first. Disappointing as I thought we were all in this together. I expected nothing less from the old administration. But this new one.

Congratulations. You are SO full of s**t that you have earned a vaunted spot on my *IGNORE* list. BYE!

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

[QUOTE="Passepartout, post: 2594087, member: 16864”]
.........Many of the world's poorest countries did/do not have the resources or leadership to secure vaccines to their own people. When all is said and done, America WILL provide not only vaccines, but the personal and expertise to administer them..........

I don't think anybody is singling out Haiti. They'll get vaxx'd in good time, but there are higher priority populations ahead of them.
[/QUOTE]

Jim - your post - is exactly the positives that I expect to happen as vaccination progresses.

*********
FYI - i also think it is wrong that the current Canadian federal government has already pulled 300,000
AstraZeneca doses from COVAX - ahead of distribution to countries like Haiti.

Note : Canada has given money to Covax - to provide doses to countries that have limited financial access to vaccine. (That also allows Canada to potentially get doses from Covax.)

IMO - it reflects poorly on Canada that our current federal leadership pushed to the front of the Covax line
due to their failure in getting sufficient vaccine in a timely manner.

- and yes Canada has “ ordered” lots of doses [that will be delivered in the second half of 2021], and may be able to eventually donate many doses of vaccine to other countries.

also as of this week (April 10)Canada likely will have more new cases per million of population than the USA.
( likely in part due to the lower % of population vaccinated.)

 

[Passepartout]

US ships 24,000 doses of COVAX to Donor countries Antigua and Barbuda
United States Congratulates Antigua and Barbuda and COVAX Donor Countries on Arrival of COVID-19 Vaccines | U.S. Embassy in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS

P.S. US joined COVAX on Jan 21, 2021- The day after the most recent inauguration.

 

[am1]

Congratulations. You are SO full of s**t that you have earned a vaunted spot on my *IGNORE* list. BYE!

Whatever. Don’t get upset when a spade is called a spade.

 

["Roger"]

Some data...

US currently has the eighth highest rate of people having received at least one dose of vaccine. While some of the countries above them are small (for example, the Seychelles), Israel, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom all have higher rates. (The United Kingdom and the US are about identical.)

Canada is 35th out of 117 countries. That puts them about the same as most of the European countries and above most of the third world nations.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I feel this is a bit like the announcement on the plane. Put your facemask on before you help others. It may not be right, but it is hard to help others when you yourself are incapacitated.

They are rolling out, at least in TX, to anyone 16 and older. Just got an email about this a day ago. Once those that want a vaccination have got one, it is best to share and Canada and Mexico are the closest trade partners to US, certainly based on geography, so I expect they will help out more there. There is still a lot that need to get vaccinated. There are still a bunch that are a wait and see, there are some anti-vaxxers who will NOT get it anyway, and still some who think they are microchipping us.

My sister in law passed away 2 weeks ago from Covid complications. It can be very serious if you are the one who it impacts and you have issues or complications that make the situation much worse.