Dr. Brendan Hanley returned from a week off on Wednesday with his weekly COVID-19 briefing.

Hanley was flying solo during this news conference due to the ongoing territorial election campaign.

As there continue to be no new COVID-19 cases, Hanley talked up the continuing need for vaccines.

He also touched on a troubling trend showing younger people aren’t lining up for their vaccines with the same enthusiasm as their older cohorts.

Hanley said he would have figures available for next week on the topic, shedding a better light on the phenomenon.

He noted “older people” – though he didn’t quantify the age range – have been much better at getting their inoculations.

Vaccine hesitancy continues to be a bit of a concern as well, Hanley said. Education efforts will continue to work at reducing that, he added.

Hanley was dismissive of recent news reports and studies indicating that anyone who had contracted COVID-19 in the past year might have a much stronger and more debilitating reaction to the initial dose of the Moderna virus being used in the Yukon.

On Tuesday, the National Post published a lengthy news story documenting the phenomenon. It quoted various studies that suggest anyone with an abnormally strong reaction to either the Moderna shot or the Pfizer version is almost certain to have had COVID.

Last week, Yahoo News ran a very similar story with the same facts.

“With over 40 million Americans now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it’s no secret that the shots can lead to unpleasant side effects such as fever, headache, body aches and fatigue,” the Yahoo story read.

“But while initial research suggested that individuals were more likely to experience these symptoms after the second dose, experts now say that those who previously had COVID-19 — whether knowingly or not — may end up reacting more strongly to the first dose,” the Yahoo story read.

“One study released in early February from Bar-Ilan University in Israel found that the immune response created after the first dose of vaccine in those who previously had COVID-19 was ‘so effective’ that it ‘opens the debate as to whether one dose of the vaccine may suffice.’

“Another study published in the Lancet found a 140-fold increase in antibodies after the first vaccine among those who had previously had a COVID-19 infection versus those who hadn't.”

The National Post story stated “Several recent small studies suggest that a single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna shots can launch a rapid immune response in people previously infected with the pandemic virus.

“The response is so strong, people with a known history of COVID are reporting vaccine side effects — fever, headache, chills and muscle and joint pain — more frequently than the never infected after the first dose. Normally, the second dose tends to be more prone to side effects.

“‘Somebody who has had COVID before seems to respond very quickly to a dose of vaccine,’ said Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Montreal and co-chair of Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization, or NACI.”

On Wednesday, Hanley didn’t give much indication that he was familiar with the literature.

He suggested the strong after-effects experienced by those previously infected by the virus were “too unpredictable” to be of much use, and didn’t reach the stage of issuing an advisory.

Hanley also downplayed the notion such reactions could be used to increase the knowledge of how extensively the COVID-19 virus had spread in the Yukon and around the world.

Similar effects are being found in people who weren’t aware they had COVID, or who had never been officially diagnosed.

Hanley said he doubted there had been many undetected cases in the territory that could be tracked by people experiencing the over-the-top reactions.

“I don’t think we have had significantly more exposures undetected,” he said.

In response to reporters’ questions, Hanley also said there is no definitive answer as to when so-called “herd immunity” will be reached.

“There’s no definitive number,” he said. “We may never have one.”

No loosening of the health restrictions are yet in the offing, Hanley said.

He declined to speculate on a date when that might happen in favour of simply saying “soon.”

Hanley said he is still worried about the variants on the original COVID virus and their potential to cause problems.

The Brazilian variant is poised to become the dominant strain in Canada, he said. Fortunately, the existing vaccines will handle that particular variant, he said.

The variants are significantly more contagious than the original version, and potentially more lethal, although that hasn’t been established firmly as yet.

As of Tuesday, the COVID-19 case count for Yukon was 72. Seventy-one people have recovered, one person died in Watson Lake in late 2020, and there are no active cases.

From March 17 to the past Tuesday, there were 43 people tested at the COVID-19 Testing and Assessment Centre.

Monday marked the one-year anniversary of Yukon’s first two COVID-19 cases.

Vaccination rollout progress:

As of Monday, there were 33,443 doses of the Moderna vaccine administered in Yukon.

This number includes 22,795 first doses and 10,648 second doses.

By region, the percentage of residents who have received a first dose is: 69 per cent in north Yukon; 78 per cent in west Yukon; 52 per cent in central Yukon; 56 per cent in southeast Yukon; and 65 per cent in Whitehorse.

By region, the percentage of residents who have received a second dose is: 60 per cent in north Yukon; 69 per cent in West Yukon; 41 per cent in Central Yukon; 47 per cent in Southeast Yukon; 24 per cent in Whitehorse.

Enforcement statistics, as of Tuesday:

• The government has received 1,610 complaints;

• Failure to self-isolate: 909;

• Gatherings over 10 inside or 50 outside: 40;

• Failure to transit through the Yukon in 24 hours or stay on their designated route: 444;

• Businesses failing to comply with orders: 14;

• Failure to abide by declaration form: 35;

• Failure to wear a mask: 128; and

• Failure to physically distance: 40.

There have been no new charges since March 16.

There has been a total of 58 charges and 47 people charged under the Civil Emergency Measures Act.

The number of total incoming travellers was 74,533, including 20,033 resident travellers, 16,014 B.C. residents and 511 N.W.T. residents.