There are growing calls for a booster COVID-19 vaccine for seniors, and while some regions in Canada are moving to provide the most vulnerable with a third shot, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have yet to follow suit.
Lynn Grass is a registered nurse who also owns two private long-term care homes in Riverview, called Grass Home. With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the greater Moncton region, she would like to see the province move quickly on rolling a third round of vaccines for the more vulnerable populations.
“I am hoping that they are making plans and getting more serum ordered and I hope they are on top of it because I feel that it is necessary,” said Grass.
While the World Health Organization has called for a moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September, Ontario has already approved a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for vulnerable people amid concerns over the spread of the delta variant.
Grass said she would like to see New Brunswick do the same.
Earlier this month, New Brunswick Public Health declared an outbreak at Forest Dale Home, a 50-bed nursing home in Riverside-Albert. where an employee and one resident tested positive for the virus.
“Because of the rise in cases and the variant and people not getting vaccinated we just don’t want to have an outbreak in our home,” said Grass. She said her home is not restricted to only emergency visits amid growing cases in Greater Moncton.
The Department of Health in Nova Scotia said it is waiting on recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to make the call on third doses. Global News reached out to the New Brunswick Department of Health but has yet to get a reply.
Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents’ Right’s Executive Director, Cecile Cassista, said that she believes more research is needed before a third round of vaccines should be made available for seniors.
But she aid she does support mandatory vaccinations for anyone working directly with the senior population, including those who work in private care homes.
“Most of these workers are working in multiple locations so our seniors need to be protected and I am hearing from family members and they are saying we want to be sure that staff are protected,” said Cassista.
Grass says she is waiting for confirmation from the province whether or not private long-term care workers will be included in a vaccine mandate for public sector employees, which she said that she fully supports.
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