Breakthrough cases ‘not unexpected’ as outbreak declared at long-term care home

The province's deputy chief medical officer of health says breakthrough cases in those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will continue to occur.

This as an outbreak linked to a faith-based gathering in late October spills over into a Pugwash long-term care home.

On Friday, it was announced one single multi-day event was behind several clusters of cases in the Northern and Western zones.

“Unfortunately, some of the secondary transmission is the source of the outbreak at East Cumberland Lodge in Pugwash,” Dr. Shelley Deeks told reporters Monday. “A staff member was infected and four other residents have now become infected.”

One of those residents is currently in hospital and Deeks expects the number of cases to rise as more tests come back.

According to Barbara Adams, Nova Scotia's minister of seniors and long-term care, 96 per cent of staff at the facility have shown proof of full vaccination, and 100 per cent of residents are fully immunized.

Officials could not say if the infected staff member had been vaccinated.

“Breakthrough cases in vaccinated people are not unexpected as the number of vaccinated Nova Scotians continues to rise,” Deeks explained. 

“That is why rolling out booster doses to long-term care residents is so important, as older people have increased risk of waning or decreased protection over time,” she added. “The third dose provides a boost in protection against COVID-19.”

The province is currently rolling out booster doses to long-term care residents — which were among the first Nova Scotians to be eligible for COVID vaccinations — along with offering them the flu shot.

“Waning [protection] impacts older people more than younger people,” Deeks said. “When we look at the distribution of people who are fully vaccinated and getting ill, what we expect is more people will have what we call 'vaccine failure' who are older than younger.”

However, she added, “the vaccine effectiveness can still hold for severe disease.”

“When there is waning, it tends to be more pronounced for mild disease or even asymptomatic disease,” she explained.

Deeks said, in addition to getting vaccinated, it's important to stay home and book a test if you're not feeling well.

“Do not go to work or to school, or visit your loved ones in a long-term care facility of hospital,” she urged.

Currently, 78.9 per cent of Nova Scotians have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 5,182 have received a third dose.

Booster doses are available to those living in long-term care, to immunocompromised people or people who are taking medications that substantially suppress their immune system, and to those who need them for work-related travel.

On Friday, the province announced boosters will also be offered to:

• anyone 80 and older, followed by anyone ages 70 to 79
• adult frontline healthcare workers who were double vaccinated with an interval of less than 28 days between their first and second doses
• people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca Vaxzevria/COVISHIELD vaccine or one dose of Janssen vaccine

There have been 5,833 COVID-19 cases from March 15 to November 3. Of those:

• 406 (7.0 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 371 (6.3 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 5,056 (86.7 per cent) were unvaccinated

There were 308 people hospitalized. Of those:

• 14 (4.5 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 31 (10.1 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 263 (85.4 per cent) were unvaccinated

Thirty-five people died. Of those:

• 4 (11.4 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 3 (8.6 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 28 (80.0 per cent) were unvaccinated