Montreal’s public health director has issued a letter to parents of 12- to 17-year-old children to encourage those with weakened immune systems to get their COVID-19 booster shots.
The letter was addressed to all parents of children in that age range on the island of Montreal recommending youth who are immunocompromised get the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Mylène Drouin says the dose is an important weapon to protect people from severe illness.
“With the current increase in cases, a booster dose (third dose) is being offered to maintain an adequate level of protection,” Drouin writes in the letter. “This dose is particularly important and recommended for young people who are immunocompromised or have a chronic health condition (e.g. obesity, diabetes, cancer, neurological disorder or lung or cardiovascular disease) and are at risk of developing severe complications.”
It’s a recommendation being strongly endorsed by Dr. Earl Rubin, the director of infectious diseases at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“I believe that she is just highlighting that it is out there, it is available, it is important for those who are more susceptible for the kids,” Rubin told Global News.
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Quebec’s Public Health Department reports that only 14 per cent of 12- to 17-year-old people in the province have received a third dose.
“With young people, going out to movies and to restaurants and other things with their friends, they’re feeling like everything is good now, it’s OK, I don’t need to get vaccinated. And that’s a problem. And I think that needs to be addressed,” Michael Cohen, the EMSB spokesperson, told Global News.
The spokesperson for Montreal’s Centre-Sud health authority is encouraging the 12-to-17 age group to follow Drouin’s recommendations.
“Both healthy and mostly immunocompromised ones that it is very important to get their shots to prevent hospitalizations and complications due to COVID,” Danny Raymond told Global News.
Health officials continue to reiterate the best way to protect against COVID-19 and contain the transmission of the highly contagious Omicron variant and its subvariant, BA.2, is to continue to wear masks and get the third vaccination dose.
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