Vaccine slots remain vacant as N.S. prepares to close community clinics

Even as the province continues its push to get all eligible Nova Scotians vaccinated, it announced it will be closing its community vaccine clinics on Aug. 15.

After that date, vaccines will be available only at primary-care clinics and pharmacy clinics. 

Anyone who has a second-dose appointment scheduled at a community clinic after Aug. 15 will need to reschedule it, or it will be cancelled.

During a briefing with reporters on Friday, Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health, said between pharmacy appointments, workplace vaccination programs and mobile vaccine clinics, Nova Scotians will still have "very good access" to vaccines.

Many COVID-19 vaccine appointments across Nova Scotia are still vacant. About 72,000 people have been invited to get their second vaccine appointment earlier than originally scheduled but haven't done so, Strang said.

"We now need everyone who can to get two doses of vaccine as soon as possible to add another and stronger layer of protection against the virus and its variants," said Strang in a news release Friday.

If everyone who is eligible for a second dose bumps their appointment up, Nova Scotia will reach its minimum target of 75 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, and will be able to move to the next phase of reopening by the end of August, the release said.

According to the provincial dashboard, which publishes statistics related to COVID-19, 75.2 per cent of Nova Scotians have received one dose of vaccine, including 55.7 per cent who have received a second dose.

Cases of inflammation reported in N.S.

There have been 22 reported cases in Nova Scotia of myocarditis and pericarditis after receiving an mRNA vaccine, Strang said. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is the inflammation of the lining around the heart.

Most of the cases did require hospitalization, but were relatively mild and patients recovered quickly. Reactions usually occurred within a week of receiving the vaccine and were mainly experienced by people who were under 30. Myocarditis and pericarditis appear to be more common in males after their second dose.

Anyone experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain or feelings of a rapid or abnormal heart rhythm after getting an mRNA vaccination should seek medical attention, the province said.

Strang urged people to get vaccinated regardless of the potential risk.

"When it comes to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis," he said in the news release.

2 new cases reported Friday

Nova Scotia reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, both in the central zone.

One is a close contact of an earlier case and one is connected to HMCS Halifax. 

One recovery was also announced, leaving Nova Scotia with 12 active cases and no one in hospital due to COVID-19. 

About 94 per cent of COVID-19 cases since March have been among unvaccinated people, the province said. Of those hospitalized, 88 per cent have been unvaccinated.

The province said 26 people have died in that same time frame. Of those, 22 were unvaccinated, three had one dose of vaccine, and one was fully vaccinated.

The woman in her 50s whose death was reported Thursday was unvaccinated.

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,821 tests Thursday.

The state of emergency that's been in place since the pandemic arrived in Nova Scotia in 2020 has also been renewed.

Briefings, dashboard updates curtailed

The province announced Friday it will no longer publish COVID-19 numbers over the weekends, but will add those numbers to the Monday updates. 

There will be no more regular live streamed briefings, either. The briefings have become a mainstay during the pandemic, with thousands of Nova Scotians tuning in to keep up to date on issues related to COVID-19. 

"We'd been thinking for a few weeks that as our epidemiology stabilized and we robustly implemented our vaccine program, that we needed to move away from the regular briefings," said Strang.

He said the province will continue to communicate with the public through social media channels and the media.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswick reported one new case Thursday for an active count of eight cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador has not reported an active case on land since July 5, but is dealing with dozens of cases on ships anchored off its coast. 
• Prince Edward Island has no active cases.

MORE TOP STORIES