in israel, where more than half the population is fully vaccinated, a “green pass” vaccine program permits the inoculated access to gyms, hotels, restaurants, public swimming pools, live concerts and movie theatres. masks are still mandatory in indoor public spaces, but an outdoor mask mandate has been lifted.
according to a public health ontario evidence brief, no jurisdiction in the world with vaccination programs using the shots approved in canada have said public health measures can be relaxed for the partially vaccinated. the effects of the first dose take weeks to develop, the briefing note states, “and is neither immediate nor the same as being fully vaccinated.”
widespread coverage with a first dose would be sufficient to lower case rates, “thereby allowing reduction in population level measures,” the brief reads. however, at an individual level, relaxing public health measures for those ticking off the weeks or months between shot one and shot two is inadvisable, the brief states.
at the end of last month, tam said that, with much of canada in the grips of a third wave, it wouldn’t be safe for even the fully vaccinated to stop following covid-19 measures just yet.
“i think our most important messages to be really clear to canadians is that it doesn’t matter whether you had one dose or two doses,” she said. “at the moment please observe all public health practices because we’re in the middle of a big third resurgence and now is not the time to sort of let your guard down.”