Sunny morning with clouds by early to mid-afternoon seems to be the pattern lately for days with any sun at all. <smile> So, by the time I am ready to head outside, it is often overcast. Today had major wind which will increase again overnight into tomorrow, so wind chills require extra clothing layers. The walk out for an errand was brisk to say the least <smile>.
News today brought clarifications and further cloudiness. Federal and Provincial updates regarding vaccine arrivals and vaccination protocols showed more of the current planning process. For our province, we learned that a regional lockdown will continue for another couple of weeks. Vaccination appointments for four of ten sites will begin next week. The phone lines and website crashed yesterday when they went live. The good news here is that people want to be vaccinated. Sadly, some looky-lous were trying to see what the process looked like when they were not part of the 80+ age group -- or were trying to crash it on purpose <sigh>.
Based on the national advisory report expected tomorrow, the protocols for second dose will be reset. It is expected that these will move from the maximum of 42 days to three to four months. By changing this, it would mean that most adults in the province will have the first dose by June. I suppose this means that the summer would then be devoted to the booster shots so all are completed into September. The theory behind this involves getting short term immunity in place on three levels
-- Clinical protection that reduces risk of ICU needs and hospitalizations in general
-- Individual protection that reduces risk of contracting the disease and expected lesser symptoms if contracted
-- Community protection that reduces risk of community spread
The second vaccination will extend the time of protection past the 3-4 month period.
So, this seemed to be more good news for those of us in the lower end of the'older' age groups since vaccines will be focused on getting the first dose into all arms so there is some degree of protection against outbreaks. Masks and distancing will remain with us through this period -- and perhaps beyond. More news on the specifics of when vaccinations will occur and what the interval between the first and second dose will be forthcoming in the next few days.
A few bits of lyrics from the selection today spoke to me. This vaccination process is a moving target with things changing as we learn more about the science behind it all. I learned more today than I knew yesterday and I want to know more and understand the process better. In general, I get adrenalin surges or 'butterflies' when working through this process. This duet says a lot about this new world and moving forward, though that is not what the lyricist likley meant <smile>. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Everything has Changed -- Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran
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