Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

Administrative staff assists people to fill out information and consent forms for COVID-19 vaccination.

Photo credit: Dung Tham Chi/MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity

March for immunization awareness - PHAREV and partners

A MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity-supported outreach team at work in the Camp Kokolo/Saint Barbara Parish in Kinshasa, DRC.

Photo credit: Leon Katshinta/PATH

In Marabo clinic village health workers were vaccinating and distributing vitamin A. UNICEF provides about 80% of the funding of the government’s Expanded Programme of Immunization. UNICEF provides the vaccines, needles, syringes, cold chain materials and sharps boxes.

The Marabo clinic covers about 12,000 people. Most of the inhabitants are returnees. The clinic has 4 nurses and a further are being trained from the ‘relais communautaires’(I am not sure I heard this correctly as I am told this is not standard practice).

The clinic is supported by 25 ‘relais communautaires’ voluntary workers. They register the mothers and children for the immunization and during the week spread health and sanitation messages. Three volunteers can be seen working on the campaign; one to register the children, one in charge of the vitamin A and one with iron tablets.

The volunteer who explained this to me (woman with black turban sitting at the table) had been a volunteer for 3 years, she had been asked to become one by her neighbours, she said she did the work as she wanted to develop her community. She spread messages about sanitation mainly at the end of prayer meetings but also from door to door. In her neigbourhood 30 out of 100 houses had latrines.

Solidarites has just started a programme to provide tools for families so that they can build latrines.

At a maternal and child clinic at La Fossette, one of the largest in Cap-Haitian, patients arrive for regular check-ups as well as vaccinations. Pictured are ward nurses and student nurses giving BCG vaccines to babies.

Photo Credit: Karen Kasmauski/MCSP and Jhpiego

Since 1987, the Extended Program on Immunization in Bangladesh has saved the lives of more than 3.5 million children . It has led to the eradication of poliomyelitis and the elimination of neonatal tetanus, and has possibly made the biggest contribution towards Bangladesh's achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 well ahead of schedule. At least 95% of the 157 million people living in this country have access to vaccines - this in a country where only around 60% of the population has access to the power grid, that sees annual floods, and that has a challenging road transport system and high levels of corruption. This has made Bangladesh's vaccine delivery system a role model for delivering effective interventions in resource-poor settings. This successful story cannot be pinned down on any one crucial factor, but it is rather a result of the development of an effective system involving collaboration between multiple dedicated blocks of society – from front line workers to politicians to journalists.

People in B.C. can look ahead to their next COVID-19 vaccine dose with the Province announcing a fall booster program as the next step in its COVID-19 immunization plan.

Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/27150

Mural celebrating Sandinista campaigns for literacy and immunization, which raised literacy from 50% to 83% and eradicated polio (as well as "Somocismo," as the mural notes cheekily).

Centro Cultural Batahola Norte, Managua, Nicaragua

info on the center in English

At a maternal and child clinic at La Fossette, one of the largest in Cap-Haitian, patients arrive for regular check-ups as well as vaccinations.

Photo Credit: Karen Kasmauski/MCSP and Jhpiego

This week, the Pipeline Community Health Center in Monrovia, Liberia, is working to resume routine immunizations that have been put on hold due to the Ebola epidemic. The effort is part of a nationwide campaign led by Liberia's Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), and supported by UNICEF, known as the periodic intensification of routine immunization, or PIRI, which aims to rapidly reduce the number of children not immunized against measles. In Liberia, government data shows that monthly measles immunization coverage against target dropped from 71% in May 2014 to 55% in October 2014.

As cases of Ebola are falling in Liberia, health workers are encouraging parents to bring in their children in order to catch up on the mixed vaccinations. Dr. Rebecca Varney, the officer in charge of the Pipeline Community Health Center, said that some children coming in are 22 months old but have not completed their vaccinations.

Varney also noted the risk of unimmunized children spreading measles to other children in school, as well as the importance of vaccinations as schools prepare to reopen. "Children would come down with measles and the parents would not notice, and would send them to school…and it would pass on to other children." At this time if we can vaccinate the children to prevent them from getting measles, it will be so much better for our school system and other children will not get infected.

Monrovia, Liberia, on 2 February 2015

Photo: UNMEER/Aalok Kanani

A Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) Brasília, a Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) e a Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal lançaram o projeto Imuniza Estrutural, que busca aumentar a cobertura de vacinação contra COVID-19 e outras doenças imunopreveníveis, com o envolvimento da comunidade, em área de alta vulnerabilidade socioeconômica.

O projeto possui três pilares: comunicação e mobilização social; monitoramento e sustentabilidade das ações; e vacinação das populações mais vulneráveis.

Foto: Karina Zambrana - OPAS/OMS

Photo Credit: Allan Gichigi/MCSP

A nurse places vaccines in the newly installed fridge in the health center, Igembe, Meru, Kenya 2016

At a maternal and child clinic at La Fossette, one of the largest in Cap-Haitian, patients arrive for regular check-ups as well as vaccinations. Pictured are ward nurses and student nurses giving BCG vaccines to babies.

Photo Credit: Karen Kasmauski/MCSP and Jhpiego

Alemnesh Gerefa (mother) with her one year old baby Kedir Mudi, at the Derer Ebija Health Post where they have come to get the newly introduced PCV vaccine. Health Extension Worker Shewaye Berhanu administers the PCV vaccine.

©UNICEF Ethiopia/2011/Lemma

Against Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis. Once this kicks in, I'm ready to travel to Kiribati. (Which is pronounced KEER i bas, by the way.)

The clinic had never heard of Kiribati.

www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-panel-recommends-p...

CDC panel recommends people not get J&J vaccine if Pfizer, Moderna are available

The advisory committee voted in favor of language that says the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are the "preferred" options over Johnson & Johnson's.

People shouldn’t get the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine when the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots are available, an advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, convened following an update from the Food and Drug Administration on the risk of rare but potentially life-threatening blood clots linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

At least 54 people in the U.S., most of them women, have been hospitalized by the blood clots, and nine people have died.

The panel voted unanimously to declare the mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, the "preferred" options for adults, ultimately concluding that the mRNA vaccines provided greater protection and fewer risks than Johnson & Johnson’s. The recommendation wouldn't prohibit use of the Johnson & Johnson shot but instead make it clear that the other options are better choices if they are available.

"I really cannot recommend a vaccine that has been associated with a condition that may lead to death," said a committee member, Dr. Pablo Sanchez, a pediatrician at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio.

The CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, will need to sign off on the recommendation.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is linked to a blood clotting condition known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS. The AstraZeneca vaccine has also been associated with the blood clot issue.

Both the Johnson & Johnson and the AstraZeneca vaccines use an adenovirus technology to train the immune system to fight the coronavirus. The shots developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna use a different approach, mRNA, to train the immune system, and they haven't been linked to the clots.

The advisory committee met after the FDA announced Tuesday that had it added a contraindication to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, saying people who had previously developed TTS after having gotten one dose of the vaccine shouldn't get second doses. The FDA also said the highest reporting rate of the blood clot issue — about 1 case per 100,000 doses administered — has been in women ages 30 to 49. About 15 percent of the cases have been fatal.

Dr. Sara Oliver, an epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC, said in a presentation to the committee that data show that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine prevents more hospitalizations and deaths from Covid than the TTS it can cause. Still, she said, the vaccine prevents fewer hospitalizations and deaths than two doses of an mRNA vaccine.

Dr. Penny Heaton, the global head of research and development at Johnson & Johnson's vaccine division, defended the shot at the meeting, saying it offers high levels of protection against Covid, requires only one dose and is easier to store and transport than the mRNA vaccines, which must be stored at cold temperatures.

But committee members noted that there is increasing evidence to suggest that one dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine isn't sufficient. In October, federal health officials said all Johnson & Johnson recipients should get booster shots if it has been two months since their initial vaccinations. The vast majority of initial Johnson & Johnson recipients have opted for a Pfizer or a Moderna booster.

After the vote, the committee's chair, Dr. Grace Lee, acknowledged that some members want to make the language recommending the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson's even stronger, saying they wouldn't recommend the shot to their family members, while others stressed the importance of having an alternative vaccine to the mRNA shots.

The Biden administration is urging all eligible people in the U.S. to get boosters against the threat of the omicron variant. Initial data suggest that three shots of the mRNA vaccines provide adequate protection against the new strain.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are readily available in the U.S. More than 570 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been delivered to providers; only 28 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been delivered.

The link between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and blood clots first emerged in April after six cases were reported in women. Federal health officials paused the use of the vaccine at that time to investigate the cases and resumed administration 10 days later, adding a warning that the vaccine could be linked to the clots, particularly among women ages 18 to 49.

A total of 54 cases of TTS after Johnson & Johnson vaccination were identified through late August, Dr. Isaac See, a scientist in the CDC's emerging infectious diseases unit, said Thursday in a presentation to the committee. All the patients were hospitalized, including 36 who were admitted to intensive care.

Most cases occurred in women, and symptoms usually occurred within nine days of vaccination with the first dose, he said. No cases of the rare clot issue have occurred in pregnant women. Risk factors for the clot issue include obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine initially held promise, because it could be given as a single dose, rather than the two doses required for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But clinical trials found that its effectiveness was much lower than that of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The effectiveness fell further with the emergence of the delta variant, leading health officials to recommend boosters.

More than 16 million people in the U.S. have had single shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the CDC. More than 470 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered.

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/12/america-omicro...

America Is Not Ready for Omicron

The new variant poses a far graver threat at the collective level than the individual one—the kind of test that the U.S. has repeatedly failed.

America was not prepared for COVID-19 when it arrived. It was not prepared for last winter’s surge. It was not prepared for Delta’s arrival in the summer or its current winter assault. More than 1,000 Americans are still dying of COVID every day, and more have died this year than last. Hospitalizations are rising in 42 states. The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which entered the pandemic as arguably the best-prepared hospital in the country, recently went from 70 COVID patients to 110 in four days, leaving its staff “grasping for resolve,” the virologist John Lowe told me. And now comes Omicron.

Will the new and rapidly spreading variant overwhelm the U.S. health-care system? The question is moot because the system is already overwhelmed, in a way that is affecting all patients, COVID or otherwise. “The level of care that we’ve come to expect in our hospitals no longer exists,” Lowe said.

The real unknown is what an Omicron cross will do when it follows a Delta hook. Given what scientists have learned in the three weeks since Omicron’s discovery, “some of the absolute worst-case scenarios that were possible when we saw its genome are off the table, but so are some of the most hopeful scenarios,” Dylan Morris, an evolutionary biologist at UCLA, told me. In any case, America is not prepared for Omicron. The variant’s threat is far greater at the societal level than at the personal one, and policy makers have already cut themselves off from the tools needed to protect the populations they serve. Like the variants that preceded it, Omicron requires individuals to think and act for the collective good—which is to say, it poses a heightened version of the same challenge that the U.S. has failed for two straight years, in bipartisan fashion.

The coronavirus is a microscopic ball studded with specially shaped spikes that it uses to recognize and infect our cells. Antibodies can thwart such infections by glomming onto the spikes, like gum messing up a key. But Omicron has a crucial advantage: 30-plus mutations that change the shape of its spike and disable many antibodies that would have stuck to other variants. One early study suggests that antibodies in vaccinated people are about 40 times worse at neutralizing Omicron than the original virus, and the experts I talked with expect that, as more data arrive, that number will stay in the same range. The implications of that decline are still uncertain, but three simple principles should likely hold.

First, the bad news: In terms of catching the virus, everyone should assume that they are less protected than they were two months ago. As a crude shorthand, assume that Omicron negates one previous immunizing event—either an infection or a vaccine dose. Someone who considered themselves fully vaccinated in September would be just partially vaccinated now (and the official definition may change imminently). But someone who’s been boosted has the same ballpark level of protection against Omicron infection as a vaccinated-but-unboosted person did against Delta. The extra dose not only raises a recipient’s level of antibodies but also broadens their range, giving them better odds of recognizing the shape of even Omicron’s altered spike. In a small British study, a booster effectively doubled the level of protection that two Pfizer doses provided against Omicron infection.

Second, some worse news: Boosting isn’t a foolproof shield against Omicron. In South Africa, the variant managed to infect a cluster of seven people who were all boosted. And according to a CDC report, boosted Americans made up a third of the first known Omicron cases in the U.S. “People who thought that they wouldn’t have to worry about infection this winter if they had their booster do still have to worry about infection with Omicron,” Trevor Bedford, a virologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, told me. “I’ve been going to restaurants and movies, and now with Omicron, that will change.”

Third, some better news: Even if Omicron has an easier time infecting vaccinated individuals, it should still have more trouble causing severe disease. The vaccines were always intended to disconnect infection from dangerous illness, turning a life-threatening event into something closer to a cold. Whether they’ll fulfill that promise for Omicron is a major uncertainty, but we can reasonably expect that they will. The variant might sneak past the initial antibody blockade, but slower-acting branches of the immune system (such as T cells) should eventually mobilize to clear it before it wreaks too much havoc.

To see how these principles play out in practice, Dylan Morris suggests watching highly boosted places, such as Israel, and countries where severe epidemics and successful vaccination campaigns have given people layers of immunity, such as Brazil and Chile. In the meantime, it’s reasonable to treat Omicron as a setback but not a catastrophe for most vaccinated people. It will evade some of our hard-won immune defenses, without obliterating them entirely. “It was better than I expected, given the mutational profile,” Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute, who led the South African antibody study, told me. “It’s not going to be a common cold, but neither do I think it will be a tremendous monster.”

That’s for individuals, though. At a societal level, the outlook is bleaker.

Omicron’s main threat is its shocking speed, as my colleague Sarah Zhang has reported. In South Africa, every infected person has been passing the virus on to 3–3.5 other people—at least twice the pace at which Delta spread in the summer. Similarly, British data suggest that Omicron is twice as good at spreading within households as Delta. That might be because the new variant is inherently more transmissible than its predecessors, or because it is specifically better at moving through vaccinated populations. Either way, it has already overtaken Delta as the dominant variant in South Africa. Soon, it will likely do the same in Scotland and Denmark. Even the U.S., which has much poorer genomic surveillance than those other countries, has detected Omicron in 35 states. “I think that a large Omicron wave is baked in,” Bedford told me. “That’s going to happen.”

More positively, Omicron cases have thus far been relatively mild. This pattern has fueled the widespread claim that the variant might be less severe, or even that its rapid spread could be a welcome development. “People are saying ‘Let it rip’ and ‘It’ll help us build more immunity,’ that this is the exit wave and everything’s going to be fine and rosy after,” Richard Lessells, an infectious-disease physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, told me. “I have no confidence in that.”

To begin with, as he and others told me, that argument overlooks a key dynamic: Omicron might not actually be intrinsically milder. In South Africa and the United Kingdom, it has mostly infected younger people, whose bouts of COVID-19 tend to be less severe. And in places with lots of prior immunity, it might have caused few hospitalizations or deaths simply because it has mostly infected hosts with some protection, as Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at Emory University, explained in a Twitter thread. That pattern could change once it reaches more vulnerable communities. (The widespread notion that viruses naturally evolve to become less virulent is mistaken, as the virologist Andrew Pekosz of Johns Hopkins University clarified in The New York Times.) Also, deaths and hospitalizations are not the only fates that matter. Supposedly “mild” bouts of COVID-19 have led to cases of long COVID, in which people struggle with debilitating symptoms for months (or even years), while struggling to get care or disability benefits.

And even if Omicron is milder, greater transmissibility will likely trump that reduced virulence. Omicron is spreading so quickly that a small proportion of severe cases could still flood hospitals. To avert that scenario, the variant would need to be substantially milder than Delta—especially because hospitals are already at a breaking point. Two years of trauma have pushed droves of health-care workers, including many of the most experienced and committed, to quit their job. The remaining staff is ever more exhausted and demoralized, and “exceptionally high numbers” can’t work because they got breakthrough Delta infections and had to be separated from vulnerable patients, John Lowe told me. This pattern will only worsen as Omicron spreads, if the large clusters among South African health-care workers are any indication. “In the West, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner because most countries have huge Delta waves and most of them are stretched to the limit of their health-care systems,” Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern, in Switzerland, told me. “What happens if those waves get even bigger with Omicron?”

The Omicron wave won’t completely topple America’s wall of immunity but will seep into its many cracks and weaknesses. It will find the 39 percent of Americans who are still not fully vaccinated (including 28 percent of adults and 13 percent of over-65s). It will find other biologically vulnerable people, including elderly and immunocompromised individuals whose immune systems weren’t sufficiently girded by the vaccines. It will find the socially vulnerable people who face repeated exposures, either because their “essential” jobs leave them with no choice or because they live in epidemic-prone settings, such as prisons and nursing homes. Omicron is poised to speedily recap all the inequities that the U.S. has experienced in the pandemic thus far.

Here, then, is the problem: People who are unlikely to be hospitalized by Omicron might still feel reasonably protected, but they can spread the virus to those who are more vulnerable, quickly enough to seriously batter an already collapsing health-care system that will then struggle to care for anyone—vaccinated, boosted, or otherwise. The collective threat is substantially greater than the individual one. And the U.S. is ill-poised to meet it.

America’s policy choices have left it with few tangible options for averting an Omicron wave. Boosters can still offer decent protection against infection, but just 17 percent of Americans have had those shots. Many are now struggling to make appointments, and people from rural, low-income, and minority communities will likely experience the greatest delays, “mirroring the inequities we saw with the first two shots,” Arrianna Marie Planey, a medical geographer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told me. With a little time, the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna could be updated, but “my suspicion is that once we have an Omicron-specific booster, the wave will be past,” Trevor Bedford, the virologist, said.

Two antiviral drugs now exist that could effectively keep people out of the hospital, but neither has been authorized and both are expensive. Both must also be administered within five days of the first symptoms, which means that people need to realize they’re sick and swiftly confirm as much with a test. But instead of distributing rapid tests en masse, the Biden administration opted to merely make them reimbursable through health insurance. “That doesn’t address the need where it is greatest,” Planey told me. Low-wage workers, who face high risk of infection, “are the least able to afford tests up front and the least likely to have insurance,” she said. And testing, rapid or otherwise, is about to get harder, as Omicron’s global spread strains both the supply of reagents and the capacity of laboratories.

Omicron may also be especially difficult to catch before it spreads to others, because its incubation period—the window between infection and symptoms—seems to be very short. At an Oslo Christmas party, almost three-quarters of attendees were infected even though all reported a negative test result one to three days before. That will make Omicron “harder to contain,” Lowe told me. “It’s really going to put a lot of pressure on the prevention measures that are still in place—or rather, the complete lack of prevention that’s still in place.”

The various measures that controlled the spread of other variants—masks, better ventilation, contact tracing, quarantine, and restrictions on gatherings—should all theoretically work for Omicron too. But the U.S. has either failed to invest in these tools or has actively made it harder to use them. Republican legislators in at least 26 states have passed laws that curtail the very possibility of quarantines and mask mandates. In September, Alexandra Phelan of Georgetown University told me that when the next variant comes, such measures could create “the worst of all worlds” by “removing emergency actions, without the preventive care that would allow people to protect their own health.” Omicron will test her prediction in the coming weeks.

The longer-term future is uncertain. After Delta’s emergence, it became clear that the coronavirus was too transmissible to fully eradicate. Omicron could potentially shunt us more quickly toward a different endgame—endemicity, the point when humanity has gained enough immunity to hold the virus in a tenuous stalemate—albeit at significant cost. But more complicated futures are also plausible. For example, if Omicron and Delta are so different that each can escape the immunity that the other induces, the two variants could co-circulate. (That’s what happened with the viruses behind polio and influenza B.)

Omicron also reminds us that more variants can still arise—and stranger ones than we might expect. Most scientists I talked with figured the next one to emerge would be a descendant of Delta, featuring a few more mutational bells and whistles. Omicron, however, is “dramatically different,” Shane Crotty, from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, told me. “It showed a lot more evolutionary potential than I or others had hoped for.” It evolved not from Delta but from older lineages of SARS-CoV-2, and seems to have acquired its smorgasbord of mutations in some hidden setting: perhaps a part of the world that does very little sequencing, or an animal species that was infected by humans and then transmitted the virus back to us, or the body of an immunocompromised patient who was chronically infected with the virus. All of these options are possible, but the people I spoke with felt that the third—the chronically ill patient—was most likely. And if that’s the case, with millions of immunocompromised people in the U.S. alone, many of whom feel overlooked in the vaccine era, will more weird variants keep arising? Omicron “doesn’t look like the end of it,” Crotty told me. One cause for concern: For all the mutations in Omicron’s spike, it actually has fewer mutations in the rest of its proteins than Delta did. The virus might still have many new forms to take.

Vaccinating the world can curtail those possibilities, and is now an even greater matter of moral urgency, given Omicron’s speed. And yet, people in rich countries are getting their booster six times faster than those in low-income countries are getting their first shot. Unless the former seriously commits to vaccinating the world—not just donating doses, but allowing other countries to manufacture and disseminate their own supplies—“it’s going to be a very expensive wild-goose chase until the next variant,” Planey said.

Vaccines can’t be the only strategy, either. The rest of the pandemic playbook remains unchanged and necessary: paid sick leave and other policies that protect essential workers, better masks, improved ventilation, rapid tests, places where sick people can easily isolate, social distancing, a stronger public-health system, and ways of retaining the frayed health-care workforce. The U.S. has consistently dropped the ball on many of these, betting that vaccines alone could get us out of the pandemic. Rather than trying to beat the coronavirus one booster at a time, the country needs to do what it has always needed to do—build systems and enact policies that protect the health of entire communities, especially the most vulnerable ones. Individualism couldn’t beat Delta, it won’t beat Omicron, and it won’t beat the rest of the Greek alphabet to come. Self-interest is self-defeating, and as long as its hosts ignore that lesson, the virus will keep teaching it.

State Senator Saud Anwar speaks during a Monday informational hearing on the state’s religious exemption to children’s immunizations.

SAMAA TV's Polio Control Cell was considered one of the most innovative initiatives for the media's role as a watchdog on Heath care Delivery Mechanisms, the initiative has received the Brand of the Year for 2009.

The SAMAA Polio Control Cell has also been recognized as the most innovative approach for addressing any health issue in 2009. This was recognized at the 6th international conference on Innovation Journalism at Stanford University, CA.

Amir Jahangir, the former CEO for SAMAA TV, who worked on the concept and the strategy as a tool to fight Polio in Pakistan as benchmark for Polio and other disease eradication methodology. Pakistan is a test case, a country where polio has yet to be eradicated. Many communities have yet to be immunized; vaccination teams are sometimes unable to reach remote areas, or parents themselves refuse the vaccination drops for their children out of misplaced fear because of a lack of information or for religious reasons.

SAMAA’s Polio Control Cell, set up with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, will help the health authorities reach out to the most vulnerable communities and include every child below five years of age in the national polio vaccination programme.

After SAMAA and the government and UNICEF teamed up, more than 80,000 complaints were recorded and managed by the television channel, as a result of which 120,000 children, who otherwise would have been left unvaccinated, were tended to.

In their bid to eradicate Polio from Pakistan, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health vaccinate almost 35 million children after every 60 days.

The media boom within the past seven years has led to growth of more than 70 channels with a majority of them focusing on news and current affairs in Pakistan. This has spurred on a largely young population to adapt modern ways of learning and keeping themselves aware.

The news and media business models in Asia, specifically Pakistan, India, and Thailand etc. are not only intact but offer greater value due to a much richer demographics as well as young workforce, which consists of an emerging middle class.

Amir Jahangir, the former Chief Executive Officer of SAMAA TV, Pakistan's leading Urdu news channels has termed the recognition of the POLIO CONTROL CELL as a success for the media in Pakistan, where it has set a benchmark for other countries and nations to follow,

"The Pakistani media has arrived, it is independent, evolving and becoming a platform for the entire nation's expression and hope," said Amir Jahangir, adding that media independence and its growing following and influence are not only bringing about a social change but a complete re-engineering of the entire societal structure.

"The media is consistently attracting investment, human capital improvement and audience/viewers participation. With more research, development of specific academic infrastructure, induction of technology and more innovative forms of journalism, we are confident that this sector will not only evolve itself but will also demonstrate the capacity to influence other sectors to grow as well.”

Jahangir concluded by highlighting the importance of the Asian region, sharing that it consists of over a third of the world's population, a population which is young, mostly between 15 to 45 years old and includes a set of emerging and still vibrant economies. Jahangir said that the future of the media in the Asian region is promising and hopeful and would play an important role in leading the world in to what could as well be the Asian Renaissance.

Amir Jahangir is also a Program Advisor to the VINNOVA Research Center of Innovation Journalism.

This Polio Control Cell initiative managed a big challenge on the ground by empowering the media to play the role of a watchdog and pressure the health authorities to deliver on improving the health service delivery systems. Recently the initiative has also been recognized as a benchmark for future Polio campaigns around the world by the Global Director of the World Health Organization, Bruce Alyward, and Bill Gates, the founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, on their maiden visit of Nigeria last year.

Dr David Nordfors, co-founder and Executive Director of the VINNOVA-Stanford Research Center of Innovation Journalism, reinforced the importance of innovation in today's global development by saying that, "for journalism to survive, it must succeed with innovation. Journalism needs to innovate to survive as a business, which means that citizens, students, workers, executives, all of us need to innovate in response to tectonic economic upheaval. Journalists have the critical and vital role of independent investigation, gathering and presenting news to increase general understanding of the engines of innovation".

The Innovation Journalism Program at Stanford also organizes the Innovation Journalism Fellowships, where each year a selected number of journalists mix workshops and conferences at Stanford with covering innovation in collaboration with hosting newsrooms. The fellowship program in Pakistan is operated in collaboration with the Competitiveness Support Fund, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan.

The Brand of the Year Award 2009 for the POLIO CONTROL CELL has been a recognition as the most innovative strategies for 2009.

Launch of Rotavirus Vaccine introduction

Zewditu Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia November 7, 2013 .©UNICEF Ethiopia/2013/Sewunet

Photo Credit: Allan Gichigi/MCSP

A nurse places vaccines in the newly installed fridge in the health center, Igembe, Meru, Kenya 2016

At a maternal and child clinic at La Fossette, one of the largest in Cap-Haitian, patients arrive for regular check-ups as well as vaccinations. Four health workers work at the site, either vaccinating or weighing children. The clinic is held in a building in the process of being built.

Photo Credit: Karen Kasmauski/MCSP and Jhpiego

Since 1987, the Extended Program on Immunization in Bangladesh has saved the lives of more than 3.5 million children . It has led to the eradication of poliomyelitis and the elimination of neonatal tetanus, and has possibly made the biggest contribution towards Bangladesh's achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 well ahead of schedule. At least 95% of the 157 million people living in this country have access to vaccines - this in a country where only around 60% of the population has access to the power grid, that sees annual floods, and that has a challenging road transport system and high levels of corruption. This has made Bangladesh's vaccine delivery system a role model for delivering effective interventions in resource-poor settings. This successful story cannot be pinned down on any one crucial factor, but it is rather a result of the development of an effective system involving collaboration between multiple dedicated blocks of society – from front line workers to politicians to journalists.

Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

Health Extension Worker Belainesh Arersa at the Derer Ebija Health Post during vaccination day.

©UNICEF Ethiopia/2011/Lemma

Village Ð Alikia, Block-Chandanpur CHS, Dist-Puri, Odisha, INDIA..Namita Barol along with her child Lovely Barol, two months child, waiting to be immunized after Purnachandra Sabata, 44, an autorickshaw driver, delivered cold chain boxes of vaccines to Anganwadi centre. Every Wednesday, Purnachandra Saba, delivers boxes of vaccines to anganwadi centres.Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health interventions, preventing around 2 million child deaths each year worldwide, and IndiaÕs Immunization Program is the largest in world with respect to the quantity of vaccines used and the number of beneficiaries. Here, Routine Immunization (RI) saves the lives of 400,000 children annually. In OdishaÕs 30 districts and 314 blocks, it is not easy for health workers to reach a population of 4.1 crore. With 30% of the areas difficult to reach, 22% tribal population, 48% people in the BPL category and 17% schedule cast population, Odisha has been one of the most challenges states for them in terms of geography and demography. Despite these odds, during 2013-14, the state provided immunization services at a cost of Rs 30 crore to 8,54,619 children between 0-1 years and 9,40,081 pregnant women to prevent seven diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles and Hepatitis B. In addition, vitamin A is also administered to children. The current level of full immunization coverage is 62.3% for children (AHS 2011-12), officials say. Since 2009, the program has manifested itself in the Teeka Express, where participation of civil society, NGOs, porters, rickshaw drivers and volunteers strengthen the vaccine delivery logistics. This system has been implemented in 280 out of the 314 blocks of the state, and has reduced vaccine shortage, improved vaccine quality, improved timeliness of reporting, ensured regularization of immunization in hard to reach areas and improved immunization waste management..

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Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

Village Baram, Block Namkum, District Ranchi, Jharkhand, India..Anganwadi worker inject (TT) Tetanus vaccine to a child at Anganwadi centre in Nmakum..Anganwadi worker in every targeted village teams up with a small group of local resource people who are then given a basic training in nutrition, childcare and hygiene. Once trained, the team visits pregnant women and mothers of newborns in their homes to educate them about safe delivery, breastfeeding, immunisation, and other essential care practices during pregnancy and early childhood UNICEF is prioritizing reducing the high malnutrition and child mortality rates, and reaching out to millions of families in Jharkhand to address these concerns. The Dular strategy, which trains village women to counsel new mothers about breastfeeding and proper nutrition, is a successful approach that is already expected to prevent about one quarter of newborn deaths and save the lives of thousands of older babies and children. The Dular initiative is of particular importance to tribal children who are most vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and education disparities, as prejudice, isolation and misunderstanding make it difficult for these families to access services. UNICEF India/2012/Dhiraj Singh.

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A health worker giving a measles vaccine to a child in Amhara Region south Wollo zone at Hike IDP center. The launch of regional vaccination campaign in Amhara Region of Ethiopia 27 December 2022. In addition, integrating in the campaign, a range of other lifesaving services. These include COVID-19 jabs and catch-up immunizations for under-vaccinated children, screening for acute malnutrition, vitamin A drops and deworming against intestinal parasites. ©UNICEF Ethiopia/2022/Mulugeta Ayene

Photo Credit: Allan Gichigi/MCSP

Dr. Paul Odila immunizing a baby at an outreach in East Pokot, Kenya

Why Vaccination Is Important For Your Pets | Vaccination Clinic In Singapore

Vaccination clinics in Singapore help forestall numerous illnesses that influence pets. Inoculating your pet has for some time been viewed as perhaps the most straightforward approaches to assist him with living a long, sound life. Not exclusively are there various antibodies for various illnesses, there are various sorts and mixes of immunizations. Immunization is a method that has dangers and advantages that must be weighed for each pet comparative with his way of life and wellbeing. Your veterinarian can decide an immunization system that will give the most secure and best insurance for your individual creature

Understanding vaccine

Vaccination help set up the body's invulnerable framework to battle the intrusion of malady causing life forms. Antibodies contain antigens, which appear as though the ailment making living being the insusceptible framework yet don't really cause illness. At the point when the antibody is acquainted with the body, the safe framework is somewhat invigorated. In the event that a pet is ever presented to the genuine infection, his safe framework is currently arranged to perceive and ward it off totally or lessen the seriousness of the sickness.

Core vaccine

Core immunizations are viewed as indispensable to all pets dependent on danger of introduction, seriousness of malady or contagiousness to people.

Cat core vaccines

Cat Calicivirus and Feline Rhinotracheitis: the two infections most ordinarily liable for upper respiratory contaminations in felines and little cats. They are incredibly regular infections and practically all felines will be presented to them sooner or later in the course of their life.

Cat Panleukopenia: otherwise called 'cat distemper,' this kind of parvovirus can end up being lethal for contaminated felines.

Other vaccination for cats

Chlamydia: a bacterial contamination that causes serious conjunctivitis. It is regularly remembered for the distemper blend antibody.

Cat Leukemia (Felv): a viral disease that is communicated through close contact. This immunization is commonly just suggested for felines that head outside.

Core dog vaccines

Distemper: an exceptionally infectious and frequently lethal viral contamination. It influences the respiratory and sensory systems.

Hepatitis: a viral disease of the liver which can prompt serious kidney harm.

Parvovirus: an exceptionally infectious and frequently lethal viral sickness that is portrayed by extreme retching and ridiculous loose bowels prompting lack of hydration. Youthful little dogs are particularly defenseless.

Other vaccination for dogs

Lyme Disease: this bacterial disorder comes about as a result of being smacked by a corrupted deer tick. Lyme ailment can cause constant and troublesome insufficiencies, for instance, kidney disillusionment, floundering, similarly as drawn out joint and muscle torture.

Leptospirosis: this bacterial malady is passed on by various wild animals and most normally imparted to canines through contact with polluted water, soil, mud or pee. This ailment causes liver and kidney disease and can be fatal. It is zoonotic, which infers, like rabies, it might be sent from various animals to individuals.

Bordetella: this bacterium adds to the respiratory disease known as pet inn hack. Canines are in peril when introduced to various canines in pet inns, preparing workplaces, instructional courses, day care and canine parks.

Influenza: this significantly irresistible respiratory ailment can essentially influence canines. There are two known strains of canine influenza that have been represented.

Creature antibody science is a substantially more ongoing advancement contrasted with that read in and produced for people. Inside the most recent decade, upgrades in veterinary clinic medication have diminished the dangers related with antibodies and had a tremendous effect on our pet's wellbeing and prosperity. All things considered, antibodies keep on being a subject of discussion. With more logical examinations being led than any other time in recent memory, pet guardians are getting more incredulous and instructing themselves to guarantee their pets maintain a strategic distance from genuine medical problems and possibly deadly symptoms.

Since 1987, the Extended Program on Immunization in Bangladesh has saved the lives of more than 3.5 million children . It has led to the eradication of poliomyelitis and the elimination of neonatal tetanus, and has possibly made the biggest contribution towards Bangladesh's achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 well ahead of schedule. At least 95% of the 157 million people living in this country have access to vaccines - this in a country where only around 60% of the population has access to the power grid, that sees annual floods, and that has a challenging road transport system and high levels of corruption. This has made Bangladesh's vaccine delivery system a role model for delivering effective interventions in resource-poor settings. This successful story cannot be pinned down on any one crucial factor, but it is rather a result of the development of an effective system involving collaboration between multiple dedicated blocks of society – from front line workers to politicians to journalists.

Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

A health worker giving a measles vaccine to a child in Amhara Region south Wollo zone at Hike IDP center. The launch of regional vaccination campaign in Amhara Region of Ethiopia 27 December 2022. In addition, integrating in the campaign, a range of other lifesaving services. These include COVID-19 jabs and catch-up immunizations for under-vaccinated children, screening for acute malnutrition, vitamin A drops and deworming against intestinal parasites. ©UNICEF Ethiopia/2022/Mulugeta Ayene

Area: Chandnmari Juggi, Vijaynagar District: Ghaziabad, State: Uttar Pradesh Country: India, 22nd March 2017 .

An ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) administers polio drops and vaccination to pregnant women and children at an Angnawadi in the Chandnmari Juggi. 27-year-old Naazma Begum along with her husband Mohhammed Avrakh reside in a 100 sq.feet plot of land covered by blue and yellow plastic supported by bamboo sticks. In order to survive Naazma picks rags from garbage dumps and construction sites, sometimes travelling around 8 to 10 kilometers a day. Typically her day starts at 4:00 am, and sometimes can extend till late evenings. After picking useful items out of garbage she comes back to her slum colony and sorts out the various pieces of junk collected. Plastic, metals, glass and other items are separated and sold. Children, young and old participate in this activity. The sorted items would then be sold to a “Kabadi Wala” ( Wholesale Junk Shop).

On certain days Naazma does not go for her morning rounds of rag picking. This does affects her household economically. Her husband a magician doing shows for a living does not have a steady stream of income. In spite of the circumstances Naazma on these mornings goes house to house motivating young mothers from her community to take their children for routine immunization sessions organized in her locality by the National Health Mission.

An inspiration to many, Naazma sometimes has tough time convincing her friends to take their children. Excuses ranging from, “We don’t have time’, “the child will get fever “ are common in her community. Naazma patiently explains the dangers caused due to lack of vaccination and its necessity in today’s life to every household. Her effort along with the support of Community Mobilization Coordinator and Block Mobilization Coordinator has led to a massive increase in the children immunized in Vijaynagar Ghaziabad.

Has both immunization attachments and antitoxin-delivery attachments.

Tennis World Champion Serena Williams (centre) holds a girl at the Nungua-Zongo immunization site in Greater Accra during the national integrated child health campaign. Ms. Williams, who is wearing a cap bearing the UNICEF logo, met with children and mothers, observed measles vaccinations, helped administer polio drops and vitamin A supplements, and distributed insecticide-treated bed nets during her visit..

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On 5 November 2006 in Ghana, on her first trip to Africa, tennis World Champion Serena Williams of the United States of America visited Nungua-Zongo, a small impoverished community in Greater Accra, to review the country's largest integrated child health campaign. Nungua-Zongo is among 9,500 designated immunization points for the nationwide campaign. Almost 6 million children are being immunized against measles and polio at the vaccination sites, 5.4 million are receiving vitamin A to help boost their immune systems and an estimated 2.1 million insecticide-treated bed nets are being distributed free-of-charge to households with children under age two to help prevent malaria. The disease is the leading killer of Ghanaian children, responsible for 25 per cent of all under-five deaths each year. However, usage by children under five and pregnant women remains low. Some 500,000 children in the three northern regions are also receiving deworming tablets during the national campaign. These critical interventions could help save 20,000 young lives over the next year in Ghana, where some 80,000 children die annually, mainly from preventable causes. The five-day campaign, which runs 1-5 November, is led by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service and supported by the Government of Japan, the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, the United States Agency for International Development, UNICEF and other partners.

This year, more than ever, Albertans should get immunized against influenza to protect their health and support the province’s fight against COVID-19.

Flu shots are now available free of charge at pharmacies and doctors’ offices across the province. Alberta Health Services (AHS) is also offering immunizations by appointment for those under five years old and those in their household.

This year’s flu season presents an additional challenge as Alberta responds to COVID-19. Immunization will help protect vulnerable Albertans, as well as decrease influenza-related tests, emergency room visits and hospitalizations during the pandemic.

The government has ordered a record 1.96 million doses of vaccine to help protect the health of Albertans.

“Getting immunized is more important now than ever before. It’s the best way to protect your health and the health of your friends and neighbours. It will also allow our health system to keep focusing on the fight against COVID-19 while we continue safely opening Alberta’s economy.”

Jason Kenney, Premier

“We’ve purchased a record amount of vaccine and made changes to ensure that getting your flu shot is as safe and easy as possible. By keeping cases of influenza low, we can make sure our health-care system can keep responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and all the other health-care needs that Albertans face every day.” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health.

“The flu shot won’t prevent COVID-19, but it will reduce your chances of getting sick with influenza and spreading it to others. While getting immunized helps, it’s also crucial to wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes and stay home when sick. If you have flu symptoms, book a test for COVID-19 as symptoms are similar. Let’s all do our part to keep one another safe.” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health. (photography by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)

Update 167: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (Jan. 5, 4:45 p.m.)

Alberta’s COVID-19 immunization program is well underway. Albertans should continue to protect others by continuing to follow restrictions and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Latest updates :

Over the last 24 hours, 843 new cases were identified.

There are 919 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 140 in intensive care.

There are 13,411 active cases in the province.

To date, 91,799 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.

In the last 24 hours, there were 26 additional COVID-related deaths reported: three on Dec. 27, three on Dec. 28, two on Dec. 29, two on Dec. 30, one on Dec. 31, one on Jan. 1, two on Jan. 2, four on Jan. 3, and eight on Jan. 4.

The testing positivity rate was 8.2 per cent.

To date, there was an increase of 10,301 tests (2,857,374 total) for a total of 1,671,264 people tested.

All zones across the province have cases:

Calgary Zone: 4,545 active cases and 35,757 recovered

South Zone: 257 active cases and 4,799 recovered

Edmonton Zone: 5,794 active cases and 39,241 recovered

North Zone: 1,311 active cases and 6,201 recovered

Central Zone: 1,431 active cases and 5,663 recovered

73 active cases and 138 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed

Additional information, including case totals, is online.

R values from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 (confidence interval):

Alberta provincewide: 0.99 (0.97-1.01)

Edmonton Zone: 0.92 (0.89-0.95)

Calgary Zone: 1.02 (0.99-1.06)

Rest of Alberta: 1.06 (1.01-1.10)

There are currently 1,236 active and 6,075 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.

To date, 784 of the 1,168 reported deaths (67 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.

COVID-19 immunization program

Vaccines are being administered across the province. As of Jan. 4, 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

Alberta’s phased approach to vaccination focuses first on priority health-care workers and those who are at highest risk of severe outcomes. Eligibility will continue to expand as more vaccine arrives in the province and more doses are administered to those most at risk.

A comprehensive outreach program is reaching communities with high levels of COVID-19 spread in Edmonton and Calgary.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services (AHS), people in these areas who test positive for COVID-19 are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and temporary financial aid in the amount of $625, once they have completed their self-isolation.

In December, more than 290 Albertans accessed hotel rooms in order to isolate safely.

In response to increasing case numbers, enhanced public measures prohibiting social gatherings, requiring masking and restricting businesses and services continue to be in effect.

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are still prohibited.

All existing guidance and legal orders remain in place.

All travellers who have arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since Dec. 7 should immediately get a COVID-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Travellers will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services to book a test.

Also, travellers from the United Kingdom or South Africa who are participating in the border pilot must immediately quarantine, whether they’ve had a negative test or not. All returning travellers currently in quarantine must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days.

Rapid point-of-care testing has begun at long-term care and designated supportive living facilities in the Edmonton Zone using dedicated mobile testing centres.

Remote and rural hospitals in Alberta will receive rapid tests in late December and early January.

Rapid testing has already been expanded to homeless shelters and centres in Calgary and Edmonton.

The government has granted certain Alberta peace officers and community peace officers temporary authority to enforce public health orders.

Not following mandatory restrictions will result in fines of $1,000 per ticketed offence and up to $100,000 through the courts.

All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.

Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.

As of Jan. 5, 295,575 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 66 per cent on iOS and 34 per cent on Android. On average, 22 new users were registering every hour.

Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.

Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.

As of Jan. 4, 494,545 Albertans have MHR accounts.

All Albertans, especially seniors and those at risk, are encouraged to get immunized against influenza.

More than 1,450,368 Albertans have received their flu shot.

Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.

The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).

Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.(photography by Paul Taillon/Office of the Premier)

Liku Tesfaye (mother) with her 2 ½ month old baby Tarike Kassaye, at the Derer Ebija Health Post where they have come to get the newly introduced PCV vaccine. Health Extension Worker Belainesh Arersa administers the vaccine.

©UNICEF Ethiopia/2011/Lemma

Dr. Luwei Pearson, Chief of Health at UNICEF Ethiopia, after immunizing a child against polio during the launching ceremonies for African Vaccination Week in Assela, Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. 21 April 2013. ©UNICEF Ethiopia/2013/Pearson

Photo Credit: Allan Gichigi/MCSP

Nurses attend to a mother and child in health center in Igembe, Meru, Kenya

Photo Credit: Allan Gichigi/MCSP

Dr. Paul Odila immunizing a baby at an outreach in East Pokot, Kenya

Dr. Bonnie Henry welcomed kids and their parents to some of the first pediatric COVID-19 vaccine appointments, November 29, 2021.

Learn more:

news.gov.bc.ca/25807

UNICEF supports a nationwide measles vaccination campaign to protect 15.5 million children from life-threatening diseases. The launch of regional vaccination campaign in Haik town, Amhara region, Ethiopia 27 December 2022. In addition, integrating in the campaign, a range of other lifesaving services. These include COVID-19 jabs and catch-up immunizations for under-vaccinated children, screening for acute malnutrition, vitamin A drops and deworming against intestinal parasites. ©UNICEF Ethiopia/2022/Mulugeta Ayene