Here's how effective COVID-19 vaccines have been in Alberta
New numbers from Alberta Health are showing just how effective vaccines have been in Alberta in reducing new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
The data was released Thursday as part of the province's daily COVID-19 update and is measured since Jan. 1.
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in Edmonton: Numbers broken down by neighbourhood
The numbers show those most at risk from COVID-19 are either unvaccinated or were diagnosed within two weeks of getting a shot, before the vaccine had time to build up immunity within the body.
"It's clear that vaccines are remarkably effective," Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, told reporters Thursday.
"We can expect both the number of hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 to decrease even more as more of the population is protected by first and second doses."
The province's daily new cases, active cases, hospitalizations and deaths have fallen in recent weeks due a combination of public health restrictions and rising vaccination rates.
The new data is measured since Jan. 1, and shows that since then:
- 0.2 per cent of of people with dose were diagnosed two weeks or more after getting a first dose
- 0.1 per cent of of people with dose were diagnosed two weeks or more after getting a second dose
Those who were unvaccinated or diagnosed within two weeks of getting a first dose represented:
- 96 per cent of cases
- 93.4 per cent of hospitalized cases
- 88.4 per cent of deaths
The province lists the partial effective of the Moderna vaccine as 82 per cent with the Pfizer shot listed as 73 per cent. Complete effectiveness for Moderna and Pfizer is listed at 93 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.
Dr. Hinshaw said Thursday the sample size for AstraZeneca shots is too small for proper analysis.
The data also indicates vaccines work well against COVID-19 variants:
- B.1.1.7 U.K./Alpha variant: 73 per cent partial effectiveness, 91 per cent complete effectiveness
- P1 Brazilian/Delta variant: 75 per cent partial effectiveness, 89 per cent complete effectiveness
Vaccine effectiveness measures how well a vaccine prevents infection.
Federal guidelines changed earlier this week to allow mixing and matching of different vaccines.
In Alberta, those who received one of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines are recommended to get a second mRNA shot from either manufacturer.
Those who received a first shot of AstraZeneca have the choice of getting either a second AstraZeneca or a mRNA vaccine.
In a statement, Alberta Health says that to date, "a majority, but not all, of AstraZeneca first doses have opted to receive an mRNA vaccine for a second dose."
Alberta has administered nearly 2.9 million doses of vaccine as of yesterday.
Alberta lifted a number of public health restrictions that had been in place since early May and entered Stage 1 of its reopening program on Tuesday.
With more than 60 per cent of eligible Albertans having had a first dose as well as fewer than 500 COVID-19 patients in hospital, the province has already met the thresholds for Stage 2 of the reopening plan.
Stage 2 relaxes restrictions on outdoor gatherings, sports, and post-secondary institutions among other changes. It is scheduled to begin June 10, two weeks after the vaccination and hospitalization targets were met.
Stage 3, which lifts almost all restrictions, will begin two weeks after 70 per cent of eligible Albertans have received at least a first dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.