Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These questions are for the Minister of health. Can the Minister confirm how decisions are being made with respect to the vaccine rollout, more specifically the second dose? Is it at the sole discretion of the Chief Public Health Officer, or is there a vaccine working group? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about this issue, because it is one that I have heard discussed quite often. The Chief Public Health Officer is the staff person who is ultimately responsible, but she doesn't work in a vacuum. She works with colleagues across the country. She works with colleagues in her office. She regularly consults community and Indigenous leaders. She also receives advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. She uses a variety of information sources to look at the decisions she makes about priority groups for vaccination and, as has emerged recently, the timing of second doses based on the supply interruption by the manufacturer. Thank you.
Can the Minister confirm if there was a decision made by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer to forego the administration of a second dose of the vaccine in favour of providing as many NWT residents with a first dose?
As a matter of fact, that did not happen. The people who are receiving a second dose of their vaccine are doing so within the recommended 28-to-42-day time frame, even though we did receive fewer vaccines than we had hoped at the beginning of February, we have now received plenty of vaccine. In some cases, people are closer to the end of the 42-day time frame, but nobody was shortchanged a second dose because of rolling out first doses.
Can the Minister confirm the number of persons who have had their second shots delayed due to the delay in receiving the vaccine from the suppliers?
All residents should be able to receive their second dose within that 28-to-42-day time frame. I am not aware of people going over that unless they are unavailable to have the second dose because they are out of their community or out of the territory. To the best of my knowledge, there is no delay in this area.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide us with an indication of the efficacy of the vaccine when receiving a second shot after the 28th day and up to the 42nd day? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The vaccine is not an off-on proposition. When it enters the body, it creates antibodies to fight off the COVID-19 infection. It continues to create antibodies from the 28th day, from the 42nd day. The second dose is really a booster. Having said that, as the Member is well-aware, this is a very new vaccine, and there is not a lot of information about the maximum interval between doses. What we do know for now is that there is no problem extending up to day 42.
There are jurisdictions that are experimenting with a greater interval than that, but we are staying with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommendation, which is that the second dose be given between 28 and 42 days. In terms of how effective it is, the vaccine is reported to be 92 percent effective 14 days after the first dose. As I say, it continues to build. Anyone who is over the 42 days will not have to restart their vaccine series. They will be able to get the vaccine when they are ready to get it. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
