Canada has entered the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but rather than concern over the health of seniors, younger people are becoming more susceptible to the disease.
The country’s top doctor has seen the spike, mostly driven by the Delta variant.
“Nationally, there are now over 13,000 active cases, more than double from two weeks ago. But the majority of new cases reported are in the 20-39 year age group,” Dr. Theresa Tam said during a press conference this week.
In Saskatchewan, doctors are concerned about vaccine rates.
The province has recorded around 30,000 total doses for the month up to Aug. 13.
It’s been a sharp decline compared to July 13, when 33,000 doses were delivered that day alone.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) made an adjustment on how it reaches unvaccinated people by taking away mass vaccine clinics and focusing on having booths and pop-up clinics at events and gatherings like festivals and CFL games.
“We’ve got immunizers at the exhibition. We’ve got immunizers at Taste of Saskatchewan. We’ve got immunizers at gyms. We’re actually going to places where we know this group is frequenting,” SHA medical health officer Dr. Jasmine Hasselback said.
However, provincial data points to issues around uptake with people younger than 40.
On July 28, around 64 per cent of people aged 18 to 29 had received a first dose.
Sixteen days later, there have only been around 2600 first doses in that age range – an increase of one per cent.
The numbers are similar in the 30 to 39 age range.
The province reported 66 per cent of people being inoculated with a first jab on July 28.
The province has it listed at 67 per cent as of Aug. 13.
An infectious disease professor at the University of Saskatchewan believes public health officials have to try different ways of reaching out to the people in this group.
“Our numbers really speak for themselves. Again, if we’re not moving the ball, then we’re going to have to try something else,” Dr. Alexander Wong told Global News.
He noted a handful of ideas that have made impacts in other jurisdictions like social pressures or gatherings like block parties where inoculations can be delivered.
“You don’t make the vaccine the thing. You make the party, the gathering, the get-together the thing,” he said.
The SHA has announced active outbreaks at two Saskatoon nightclubs — Pink Bar & Lounge on Aug. 4 and Divas Nightclub Aug. 9.
It also announced an exposure risk at the Saskatchewan Roughriders game on Aug. 6 in a section of the stands.
Dr. Wong noted attending these events is fairly high risk, and the strength of the Delta variant makes and unvaccinated person even more at risk.
Global News requested an interview with the provincial health minister, but were told he was unavailable.
In an emailed statement, the health ministry said pop-up and walk-in vaccine clinics will continue to be held to target unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people and campaigns are taking place via traditional and social media.