Region’s top doc sends words of warning to those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccines work but they are no silver bullet.

The medical officer of health for Waterloo Region is out with some words of caution, even for those who are fully vaccinated.

“One of the trends we are noticing in our case and contact management is that of fully vaccinated individuals no longer taking public health precautions and getting infected through close, unprotected contact with others, especially in large gatherings,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang.

The health unit says, over the last three weeks, the local case counts have been trending higher. As of yesterday, the region is seeing about 27 new infections per 100,000 people per week.

Meantime, as of September 8, the health unit says the seven-day rolling average rate of infection is nine times higher among the unvaccinated compared to those who are double-dosed.

That said, Dr. Wang says everyone still needs to be following public health guidance.

“Vaccination, while it is the most powerful layer of protection we can add in our fight against COVID-19, cannot be the only tool we rely on to get us through the fourth wave,” Wang said.

She says everyone should still be sticking to the three 'C's, avoiding unprotected close contact, closed places, and crowded spaces.

“The more COVID spreads the more likely that any of us will encounter it and, if you have a lot of exposure or repeated exposure, your chances of getting infected increase.”