COVID-19 shots for essential workers before seniors could save lives, money: study

CALGARY (660NEWS) — There may be value in prioritizing essential workers ahead of some seniors to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new research, as people across Alberta begin to get their shots.

While many essential workers may theoretically be better equipped to handle a COVID-19 infection, a pre-published SFU study finds giving them the shot before older members of the population would prevent more than 200,000 infections and save the province more than $500 million in health care costs.

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SFU modelling expert Paul Tupper says essential workers should be the next in line for the shot, after we’ve ensured protection for the elderly.

“We found that outcomes are much better for everybody in many different ways if, after we vaccinate people in their 80s, we then target essential workers,” Tupper said.

“By this, we mean people who, as part of their jobs, cannot avoid having a lot of contact. We’re thinking about people that work in retail, in food services, in agriculture, first responders, and maybe teachers. All these groups, they have a lot of contacts, we need them to do their jobs, and they cannot isolate,” he added.

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He says the money savings comes from reducing infections.

“When there’s a lot of infections, people are hospitalized. It saves a lot of adverse outcomes that come along with COVID,” he said.

“We can use the vaccines to reduce the prevalence of COVID, and that means that there’s less exposure for people who are older and who are more vulnerable,” Tupper added.

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