City and AHS encouraging 20 to 40 years old to get vaccinated

“Within Medicine Hat, the majority of cases are coming from a specific age group and that’s roughly around 20-40 years old,” said Brown. “The majority of cases within this age group are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.”

Brown said the third component is that the Delta variant is prevalent in the community.

He said even more important is to recognize where the cases are coming from and why it’s within that age group.

About 57 per cent of city residents in the 20-40 age group have received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to 70 per cent provincially.

Within Medicine Hat about 47 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, compared to 60 per cent province-wide.

He said those numbers paint a clear picture about what the problem is and the solution.

“Pretty simple solution to this, that age group needs to get vaccinated, I don’t know how else to put it, ” Brown stated during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Brown says this is why a communication campaign featuring billboards and social media encouraging this specific age group to get vaccinated will begin running immediately.

“We’re not up here telling you to stop your gatherings. We’re not up here to tell you to stop doing certain things. That’s important. what’s really important is you do that safely and you get vaccinated,” Brown said.

He said the campaign will focus entirely on boosting vaccinations, not on other health measures or restrictions.

Brown says he doesn’t have the authority to close businesses as a way of reducing spread. That authority lies with the province through the Public Health Act.

“As it relates to say a mask bylaw, when we look at what the actual problem is, it’s not directly related to people not wearing masks. It’s directly related to that age (20-40 years) group not getting vaccinated,” he said.

AHS says cases in Medicine Hat and surrounding communities have taken off very dramatically over the last two weeks.

On Monday, there 483 active cases of COVID-19 in Medicine Hat. South Zone Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vivien Suttorp says the numbers we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg because not everyone is getting tested.

Suttorp noted there are 14 people currently being treated at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital for COVID-19, the highest it’s been since the pandemic began. Three of those are in ICU, nearly half of the eight ICU beds at Medicine Hat hospital. The patients are younger and the majority have not been vaccinated.

She said outbreaks are being seen across Medicine Hat. Some are listed on the province’s website, but they are also happening in gyms and daycares and from social gatherings.

She said the Delta variant is spreading more quickly than previous strains and has a very short incubation period. She said some people who are fully vaccinated are getting the virus but they are not ending up in hospital.

“We’re not up here telling you to stop your gatherings. We’re not up here to tell you to stop doing certain things. That’s important. what’s really important is you do that safely and you get vaccinated,” Brown said.

Suttorp said what she’s seen in many months of dealing with COVID is that most transmission happens in social settings.

“People have their guards down, they’re having a good time, they’re at a large family gathering, large social gatherings, nightclubs, etc,” Suttorp said. “That is the largest way of transmission.”

She said there is transmission in worksites, but that is and has always been less than social gatherings.

Asked about those who still refuse to get vaccinated, Suttorp encouraged them to follow other strategies to prevent spread such as masking, physical distancing and staying home if you are sick.

“We are seeing too many people going to work sick. They’re going to work coughing, snotty nose, headache, fatigue, all the symptoms of COVID and then spreading it,” she said.

Suttorp also said AHS is in constant contact with rural leaders on the situation there. She noted Cypress County has a high number of active cases – the third-highest cases rate per 100,000 people at 655 – and the immunization rate in the County of 40 Mile is “extremely low.”

by Regan Tate

City and AHS encouraging 20 to 40 years old to get vaccinated

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