NWT residents who have been partially or fully vaccinated must still follow public health measures including self-isolation.
In a public service announcement issued May 10, chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola said that COVID-19 vaccines prevent about 95 per cent of infections, but not 100 per cent.
“The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer would like to remind people that fully and partially vaccinated individuals can still get sick and transmit the virus,” she said.
Though both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19, the circumstances of the N.J. Macpherson outbreak and the highly transmissible nature of variant strains mean even fully vaccinated contacts should isolate.
In the context of the N.J. Macpherson infections, fully vaccinated contacts must isolate in accordance with the public health order announced last week for people in Yellowknife, Ndilo, Dettah and Behchoko.
“In situations of very high exposures to COVID-19, there will still be people who develop COVID-19 infections even if they are fully vaccinated. The risk for fully vaccinated individuals is likely about one-tenth the risk of non-vaccinated individuals,” Kandola said.
The NWT’s top doctor added that even for fully vaccinated individuals routine health measures are still important, such as frequent hand washing, keeping physical distance from others, wearing non-medical masks when physical distancing isn’t possible, keeping social circles small staying home when feeling sick and getting tested when showing symptoms.
“We continue to strongly encourage all eligible people to help protect themselves from COVID-19 and its most serious impacts by getting vaccinated,” she said.