Officials on reopening plan, vaccine safety, and speeding up second doses for dialysis patients

She says they looked at the reopening programs for several other provinces and countries before deciding on their own actions.

“I believe this plan is a prudent approach to reopening with Stage 1 prioritizing the easing of low-risk outdoor activities and only proceeding to the next stage as thresholds are met and the two-week window ends. This stage is much more cautious than what you see in our neighbouring provinces, B.C. and Saskatchewan.”

Stage 3, which could begin as soon as early July, would see nearly all restrictions lifted province-wide. In order to get there, 70 per cent of Albertans aged 12 or older would have to have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

While some other jurisdictions have their percentage thresholds only accounting for vaccines among adults, Dr. Hinshaw says this approach was chosen as it “maximizes the protection that we will have before significant reopening takes place.”

Vaccines, however, are not mandatory and will continue to be optional.

Kenney says he has heard from some Albertans who believe the government is trying to coerce them into getting immunized by tying restrictions to vaccination levels, but he assures that no one is being forced or coerced. That is why no restriction plan requires anywhere near 100 per cent of the population to get vaccinated.

That is why he stated that an amendment is being introduced to the Public Health Act to remove the mandatory power of the province to coerce people to take a particular vaccine, something that has been in effect since 1910.

“Just to underscore that this is a free choice, we are repealing that power because we have no intention of using it and we have no intention of using vaccine passports.”

The premier also talked about safety when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.

“Two-and-a-half million doses, 2.2 million Albertans who have received at least a first dose, and we have tracked 385 adverse outcomes from those two-and-a-half million doses. You can do the math yourself, but it’s clear that these vaccines are 99.9 per cent safe.”

AHS reports that the majority of the adverse events reported so far result in minor complications and most are due to allergies.

Dr. Hinshaw also made an announcement that will impact people on dialysis.

Because they have lower responses to vaccines, people on dialysis for kidney disease will be added to the list of those who can receive a second vaccine dose 21-28 days after their first.

More details on this are expected to be announced next week.

The full press conference with Kenney and Dr. Hinshaw can be viewed below.

by David Opinko

Officials on reopening plan, vaccine safety, and speeding up second doses for dialysis patients

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