CPHO Heather Morrison urges Islanders to get both COVID and flu vaccine

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer says Islanders should be able to book the latest flu and COVID-19 vaccines within the next week.

Two weeks ago, Health Canada approved Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine for all Canadians who are six months of age and older. 

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"We think Islanders don't want to wait for the vaccine and we'll get it out as soon as we can," Dr. Heather Morrison told Louise Martin of CBC News: Compass on Tuesday. 

In particular, Morrison is encouraging high-risk Islanders to consider getting both vaccines. That includes people who are 65 and older, residents of long-term care homes, pregnant people, and those who live in Indigenous communities. 

She's also encouraging everyone who's had a COVID shot or COVID itself at least six months ago to get vaccinated to boost their protection against serious cases in the future.

Vaccination fatigue?

The province says one person has died and at least 80 people tested positive for the virus over the past four weeks. 

Test positivity this past month has been 12 per cent.

Morrison says she understands that some Islanders might not be motivated to get the shot, three years into the pandemic, but she says everyone can play a part in keeping the population healthy this fall and winter. 

"No one wants to get sick, and if we can reduce our chances of getting sick, reduce our chances of getting hospitalized, protecting those around us — I mean I think we all want to do that," she said.