'I'm going to get the vaccine': Epidemiologist urges New Brunswickers to get the jab

An epidemiologist is urging New Brunswickers to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they can.

On Tuesday, Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

The federal government said a small initial shipment of vaccineis on the way and some New Brunswickers could get the jab before the new year.

While it normally takes years for a vaccine to come to market, Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist with the University of Toronto, said he has no concerns about the speed with which this vaccine was approved.

He said manufacturers would have lots of data on short term side effects because of medical trials, and waiting for long term data would take years and isn't something Health Canada could speed along.

"Whether Health Canada sits on it for a month or several months isn't actually going to change the fact that it's really the trial itself that was shortened," said Furness.

"I'm going to get the vaccine. I'm not concerned."

Safety concerns

This comes after the United Kingdom has recommended people with a history of severe allergic reactions not get the vaccine because of two reactions to it.

Furness said while this does raise concerns, it should not be an issue for most people.

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Colin Furness says even with vaccine, masks and other restrictions will be required until the rate of people getting COVID-19 declines dramatically.

"Either the safety trial missed that or these are extremely unusual," said Furness.

"Either way, I think we need to be cautious If you are required to carry an EpiPen because you are prone to anaphylaxis, perhaps don't get the vaccine or don't get the vaccine yet."

Need for speed

Furness said the development time for this vaccine is a record.

He said vaccines usually take years to develop and market, the fastest one being the four years it took for a mumps vaccine.

He said this is a miracle of science and people should realize that, even if it takes months for an individual to get the shot.

"For anyone who feels impatient that they're not getting the vaccine soon enough, it's really important to take a step back and say that this could have taken 25 years and instead a few months," said Furness.

"That's amazing."

New normal must remain

Still, a vaccine on the horizon doesn't mean a return to normal just yet.

First there are billions of people to vaccinate, which means it could take a while until everyone has the vaccine.

Furness said he thinks a 75 per cent vaccination rate would offer herd immunity in a jurisdiction, but until then people still have to follow COVID protocols, even if they have received the vaccine.

"The amount of protection that you get after the first shot is going to vary by individuals, but you should assume that it's more or less zero," said Furness.

"What you're really doing is getting your body's immune system started and getting the immune system started is not the same thing as having the immune system working on COVID as it should."