With the province having changed its daily COVID-19 updates to include the vaccination status of new cases, there have been questions about why the same is not happening locally.
Today, Porcupine Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton talked about the vaccination status of cases, why those numbers haven't been reported and how they will be reported moving forward.
From May 1 to Oct. 31, 5.7 per cent of new cases in the region were fully vaccinated people. The rest were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
The health unit did not provide the total number of cases to get the percentage. Based on the numbers that were publicly reported in that timeframe, there were 1,593 new cases.
A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving their second dose. The partially vaccinated category includes anyone who hasn't met the fully-vaccinated threshold after their second dose or who has only had their first vaccine.
Catton said the health unit is not reporting the vaccination status of new cases because of the time it takes to determine when someone was fully vaccinated.
"As well our case numbers have been low, which we’re incredibly grateful for. And what that means is we won’t be reporting on a weekly or individual case basis because that is personal health information. And often in our small communities even without us divulging anything, people tend to talk and know who is a case and that’s the type of information that we don’t believe is anyone’s need-to-know at that point in time,” she said.
Unless there is a drastic change in case numbers, she said the vaccination status will likely be reported monthly.
In the Porcupine Health Unit region, 90.5 per cent of the eligible population 12 years and older have their first dose and 85.2 per cent have both doses.
Twelve- to 17-year-olds have the lowest rates locally.
In that group, 83.6 per cent of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 76.2 per cent have both doses. Both of those are under the provincial rate, which is 84.7 per cent and 80.1 per cent, respectively.
She said the health unit will continue to work with schools and the community to increase opportunities, make sure concerns are addressed and offer vaccines in a safe, comfortable environment.
Work is also underway to plan for vaccine clinics for the five to 11-year-olds once it's approved by Health Canada.
