Weekly COVID-19 update April 15, 2021 A message from the Registrar Dear Colleagues,
Last year when it became apparent that COVID-19 was here and we were experiencing the lockdown, it was clear that the pandemic was going to have a significant impact. This has been a challenging year for everyone that I know and speak to. Thank you for your leadership and following the ACAC COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive while enduring the challenges of the pandemic. Thank you for taking care of your patients and keeping Albertans healthy.
With the announcement that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to health-care workers, including chiropractors and their staff, there has been an increase in questions regarding the impact of the vaccination on practice. Here is the information that we currently know:
As a reminder even if you receive your first dose, it may be up to 16 weeks before you receive your second dose. You are not considered fully vaccinated until you have received your second dose. Alberta Health has provided the following information:
“COVID-19 vaccines are proving to be effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19. In a 2 dose COVID-19 vaccine series, protection starts two to three weeks after the first dose and this dose offers a good level of protection against symptomatic disease. Peak efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease is achieved about 2 weeks after the second dose. If it has been 2 weeks or more since an individual has received their 2nd dose, that person is considered fully immunized. However, based on current evidence it remains unknown how long the protection will last.”
Once vaccinated, you will still be required to follow Chief Medical Officer of Health orders until they have been rescinded or replaced. Once vaccinated, you and your staff will still be required to follow the ACAC COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive in its entirety until the ACAC receives notice from Alberta Health that the Directive is no longer required. That change will be communicated to members once it applies.
The ACAC has been asked what the impact of receiving vaccinations will be on being deemed a close contact, and raised the question with Alberta Health. Alberta Health has stated there is limited evidence on whether someone who has received vaccine is able or not able to spread the virus. Therefore, at this time, everyone including health-care workers must continue to follow all public health measures, regardless of their COVID-19 immunization status. These measures include following quarantine requirements if exposed to a case of COVID-19 that results in being deemed a close contact. Alberta Health is monitoring the evidence and will update quarantine requirements for fully immunized individuals as more information becomes available.
A Q&A on vaccines has also been developed and is available here. This document is for your consideration, not for distribution to your patients.
Members who have made the decision to receive the vaccine are encouraged to schedule an appointment now for the vaccine they would prefer to receive.
As always, as the ACAC receives further information from Alberta Health, we will share that with you.
Best Regards, Dr. Todd Halowki ACAC Registrar
This weekly, Thursday morning COVID-19 update provides non-urgent, yet important, information and answers questions posed by members as part of the ACAC’s ongoing efforts to keep members informed about public health responses to the pandemic. If you have questions related to policy, procedures, control measures, safety, or any other topic pertaining to effectively responding to COVID-19 in your practice, please send them to registrar@albertachiro.com.
The next update will be April 22, 2021.
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