Vaccines continue to protect against severe COVID-19 outcomes in Sask., December data shows
The Government of Saskatchewan continues to recommend vaccines as the best defence against severe outcomes related to COVID-19, following the latest data on December cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Nearly 30 per cent of the 4,621 cases reported in Saskatchewan in December were unvaccinated, or individuals who tested positive within three weeks of their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Sixty per cent of the new cases reported in December were individuals who were fully vaccinated.
According to Health Canada, a percentage of individuals who are vaccinated may still become infected with COVID-19, but they are “very effective” in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.
Of the 4,621 COVID-19 cases reported in December, 65 cases, 1.4 per cent, resulted in hospitalizations with 31, 48 per cent, of those being unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
ICU rates were 3.5 per 100,000 cases for the unvaccinated and 0.4 per 100,000 cases for those with two doses.
Seven people died after testing positive for COVID-19 in December, four of whom – 57 per cent – were unvaccinated. No deaths were reported in those under 20 or those with three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In Saskatchewan, 869,541 people are fully vaccinated.
Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer addressed concerns of vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19 in November, explaining that the trend was not a cause for concern due to a high percentage of the population being fully vaccinated.
“Eighty-one per cent of (Saskatchewan’s) population is fully vaccinated,” Shahab said at the time. “If 81 per cent of the population is seeing 50 cases, the rate per 100,000 is much lower versus the remaining 20 per cent of the population that is unvaccinated,” Dr. Saqib Shahab said.
Dr. Shahab said severe outcomes in people younger than 65 are mostly all unvaccinated.
Fifteen individuals were admitted to the ICU in December, 10 of whom – 67 per cent – were unvaccinated. Two ICU admissions were fully vaccinated individuals with underlying health conditions. No one admitted to the ICU in December was younger than 20.
“Based on the COVID-19 Vaccination and Breakthrough Infections report for the month of December, COVID-19 vaccinations continue to protect against the more severe COVID-19 illnesses,” the province concluded in its report.
Saskatchewan’s population is 1,180,867 as of October 2021, according to the provincial government. Not all Saskatchewan residents are eligible for vaccination.
Of the 2,804 cases in December with a second dose, 250, nine per cent, had comorbid conditions and 159, 5.7 per cent, were 65 and older.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Flammable kids' sleepwear, salmonella-contaminated chips: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued recalls for various items this week, including kids' bassinets, chips, and stoves. Here's what to watch out for.
The secret Italian lakes that most tourists don't know about
Italy has dozens of secret smaller lakes that boast superb scenery, unknown to mass tourism, where locals get together on day trips and enjoy picnics.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
From DVDs to rehearsals: Halifax theatre company transforms Video Difference building into arts hub
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.