The agency says all workers, including new hires and students, will no longer be required to have at least two doses of the vaccine. AHS previously lifted its mandate for staff, but maintained a policy requiring vaccination for new hires. He says vaccines still provide strong protection against the severe effects of COVID-19, but there is emerging evidence that vaccines have become less protective against infection. AHS says the COVID-19 vaccines available to date target the original strain of the virus. He says the evidence shows that immunization without boosters has limited effectiveness in reducing transmission of the Omicron variants currently on the market. When asked why AHS did not choose to change the definition of “fully vaccinated” and require all available boosters, Kerry Williamson, executive director of issue management at AHS, said in an email that the agency needs stronger evidence on the effectiveness of boosters. booster doses with highly infectious Omicron subvariants circulating. Williamson said the AHS “did not feel there was sufficient scientific evidence to demonstrate reduced transmission with a single booster dose.” The agency says its workforce is still required to stay home when sick, wear necessary personal protective equipment and practice hand hygiene. “The vaccination policy was implemented to protect patients, health care workers and the public at a time during the pandemic when vaccination required by the policy was still effective in preventing transmission and when it was most needed to limiting the spread of COVID-19,” Mauro Chies, interim president and CEO of AHS, said in a statement Monday. “Policies and procedures have had to evolve continuously during the pandemic to reflect significant changes in the virus itself and the ever-changing evidence base as we continue to protect our people and patients.” AHS says it will continue to monitor the scientific evidence to assess the need for additional measures. In a press release, Alberta NDP health critic David Shepherd said the decision to stop the vaccine makes no sense. “Anyone being cared for in a health facility should be assured that staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19, among many other diseases,” he said. “It is unreasonable to remove protection against COVID-19 from the list of required vaccinations for new AHS staff. This virus has killed more than 4,600 Albertans, and patients in hospitals and long-term care facilities are most at risk.”
