vaccinations

COVID-19 Vaccine and Planning a Wedding

If you’re like many engaged couples, your wedding plans include health measures against COVID-19. Some subjects, such as vaccination, can be touchy for a small minority of your guests. So what can you do? Keep reading to learn why some aren’t getting vaccinated, plus how you can develop a diplomatic approach while keeping everyone safe.

Vaccination Success in Canada

Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination rate is among the highest in the world. Our World in Data reveals that nearly 74% of the population is fully inoculated as of October 23, 2021. It currently has the 10th highest vaccination rate in the world, just below Uruguay and South Korea.

Despite our country’s stellar efforts, some hesitancy remains about the COVID-19 vaccine among a few Canadians. An October 2021 piece in The Conversation mentions that around 2.1 million Canadians are uncertain about getting the shot. That’s about 7% of the adult population. Some of them are on the fence, while others are steadfast in their refusal.

What Prompts Vaccine Hesitancy

It’s easy to dismiss all the holdouts as being selfish and irresponsible, but vaccine hesitancy isn’t always cut-and-dried. There’s no single reason people are avoiding getting inoculated against COVID-19. Some are concerned about vaccine safety. Others want more information about how the vaccines were developed, plus more transparency about clinical trials and potential side effects.

For some Canadians, inoculation isn’t just a fact-based decision. A September 2021 article in The Conversation points to other psychological factors at work: denial, anxiety, and emotional fatigue, to name a few. Others are a bit more complex. Feelings of exclusion and rejection, for instance, can lead to greater defiance and perhaps feelings of superiority over those who choose inoculation. Some people won’t get vaccinated because their friends and loved ones don’t. Others believe it to violate their sense of autonomy.

Helpful Vaccine Tips for Your Wedding

No doubt you’re already thinking of safeguarding your guests’ health at your wedding. Wedding Wire Canada offers information on current COVID health measures in each province. Keep in mind that most call for smaller public gatherings and mask-wearing. Some also require proof of vaccination or negative test results. Having this info can help you draft your wedding safety plan. The Knot’s Esther Lee shares advice on how to communicate it effectively to your attendees.

Thanks to Canada’s higher inoculation rates, most of your guests should be fully vaccinated. You’re less likely to encounter holdouts than your U.S. counterparts. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. A July 2021 article in Brides offers some great suggestions:

  • Don’t be afraid to ask guests to be fully vaccinated by your event date.
  • If you can allow unvaccinated guests, ask for proof of a negative COVID test.
  • Consider temperature testing before guests enter your venue.

Behind all the reasons for vaccine hesitancy are real people with real emotions. Whether you decide to try to sway their views is your decision, but American journalist Beth Teitell provides some helpful advice. Meet them at their level with approaches that speak to them — empathy, myth debunking, providing a ride to the nearest vaccine site, offering to go with them, and so forth.

Protecting Yourselves and Your Guests

Weddings have changed a lot in the last two years. We went from mid-sized affairs and large soirees to live-streamed nuptials and intimate celebrations. Some of us keep hoping for a return to “normal,” whatever that means. When planning your nuptials, you can institute health measures that include requesting everyone to be fully vaccinated. Empathy and diplomacy are best when communicating with unvaccinated people, but don’t make exceptions to your guidelines. After all, it’s your responsibility to ensure your guests’ safety as best as possible.

Four Measles Cases Confirmed in Toronto

120536669Four measles cases were confirmed in Toronto at the beginning of February. They involved two young children and two parents from different families. There is no known connection between the cases, and a source for the outbreak has yet to be identified. This news comes on the heels of over 100 reported cases in the U.S. in January across 14 states. The American cases have largely been traced to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Canadian public health officials are concerned the Toronto cases could be the start of an outbreak.

Voluntary Vaccinations

Vaccinations for Canadian school age children are voluntary everywhere but Ontario and New Brunswick. In those two provinces, parents are required to provide proof their kids have received the necessary shots in order to attend school. However, there is a way around the system if you have a religious, philosophical or medical objection. Parents can fill out a form, sign an affidavit and legally exempt their children from vaccination. In the event of an outbreak, non-vaccinated students may be required to stay home or be quarantined.

How Contagious Is Measles?

Measles is an extremely contagious, airborne disease. It is easily transmitted by coughing and sneezing, and the virus can remain infectious for up to two hours in the air or on a contaminated surface. Nine out of ten times when people who don’t have immunity are exposed to the disease, they will contract it. By comparison, Ebola, which is much deadlier than measles, is nowhere near as infectious. It is easier to catch the common cold than Ebola.

Symptoms

Measles has a 10 to 14 day incubation period when no symptoms are present. When they do show up, they include the following and may persist for several days:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Red eyes

After that, a red rash of bumps appears. It typically starts on the face and over several days spreads down the arms, chest and legs. During this phase, people who have measles may experience fevers as high as 40-41 Celsius (104 -105 Fahrenheit).

For more information about Measles, vaccines, and how it all affects you, check out this helpful infographic  (Source: Masters in Public Health Online)

A Deadly Disease

Measles is very serious, and unvaccinated young children are at particular risk for contracting the disease. Diarrhea, dehydration, blindness and swelling in the brain are some of the most severe complications. While there has been a safe, effective vaccine available for a number of years, there were 145,700 people who died from measles in 2013. Prior to 1980, when widespread vaccinations began, approximately 2.6 million people died per year. Most of the deaths were children under the age of five who lived in developing countries.

One reason children are more vulnerable to the disease, even in western countries, is they don’t typically receive their first measles vaccination until they are 12 to 15 months old. The second dose is administered when they are between four and six. The series of two shots are usually for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

Treatment

No prescription medication is available for the treatment of measles. The best way to help someone get better is by keeping them well hydrated and properly nourished. Over-the-counter medicine may provide some relief from fever and muscle aches. Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an ear infection or pneumonia that may accompany a case of measles. The disease may more severely affect people who have low levels of vitamin A, and sometimes vitamin A will be given to help lessen the impact of the disease. A case of the measles typically runs its course in two to three weeks. Once someone recovers, they are immune from the disease.

Measles can be very dangerous and rapidly spread among people who are unvaccinated. Hopefully, the cases in Canada and the United States can be contained and not result in a widespread outbreak across North America.