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International travel restrictions "Now is not the time to travel," Canada's Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said this week, echoing similar calls from government officials earlier in the pandemic. And like earlier this pandemic, on Friday, the federal government brought back mandatory COVID-19 PCR tests for everyone arriving in Canada – including those who had been to the U.S. or only left for a very short trip. Earlier this week, the federal government also issued an official advisory against all non-essential international travel abroad, warning Canadians that they are at risk of catching COVID-19 as cases of the Omicron variant rise worldwide. Canadians are also at risk of being stuck in a foreign country due to rapidly shifting travel rules around the globe, Duclos said. With these announcements coming so soon before the holiday season, getting a refund on plane tickets could be tricky, some experts say, and others aren't convinced that many Canadians will choose to alter their travel plans. Global News online reporter Aaron D'Andrea has the latest on travel restrictions. And take a look at this guide to what we know about the Omicron variant, from the Global News online team. 
Omicron and holiday plans It's the holiday season, and once again Canadians are facing a series of tough decisions. Do you go to dinner with your parents? Do you have a few drinks out with your friends? Do you go to the office Christmas party? Health officials are urging you – and everyone else – to cut back on socializing as much as possible, in light of the growing wave of Omicron variant cases. "I’m urging Canadians across the country to please carefully consider and adjust your holiday plans to minimize risks and maximize layers and quality of protection for you and yours," Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Friday. Some provinces, including Ontario and B.C., have already reimposed limits on gatherings at home, as well as capacity limits in venues, in an effort to try to control Omicron’s spread. One of the big problems is you can't expect two doses of vaccine alone to provide the same level of protection as they used to, according to Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious diseases physician and senior clinician-scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto. Global News' Leslie Young asked health experts what questions people should ask themselves if they're thinking of attending a social event. 
Q: My first two COVID-19 vaccine shots were Pfizer. I am due for my booster and everything I read indicates I should take Moderna or Pfizer. But I reside in Mexico during the winter months and the booster they offer is AstraZeneca. Would I be better waiting until I return to Canada in April and getting the Pfizer or Moderna? Right now, there is only preliminary data on the effectiveness of the current vaccines against the Omicron variant, said Alyson Kelvin, a vaccinologist who works with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan. The news so far isn't good, though, with many countries reporting lots of cases of fully vaccinated individuals who were infected with Omicron. "One study out of South Africa suggests that people who received a double dose of mRNA vaccines had a decrease in protection from Omicron infection compared to other SARS-CoV-2 variants but a robust level of protection from severe disease as defined by the need for hospitalization," she said. "Trends are starting to emerge indicating that a third dose of mRNA-based vaccines increase neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron, which may be essential for protection," she said. There's even less data regarding booster shots of AstraZeneca, she said. However, she doesn't recommend waiting. "It is worth considering receiving the AstraZeneca booster vaccine if it is the only vaccine available to you and then looking into acquiring an mRNA-based third dose in the spring," she said. In general, she thinks it's likely fine to mix and match the mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – though she notes that some health authorities recommend you stick with the same brand. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that all adults over 18 may be offered a booster. If you’re 18-29, you should take Pfizer, they recommend, but other adults can receive either Pfizer or Moderna. "Our previous data has indicated that mismatching mRNA vaccines led to similar overall responses from the immune system,” Kelvin said. “From this, I would suspect that interchanging third doses of mRNA vaccines would follow a similar trend. However, some health authorities are giving guidance to stick with the same brand as your second dose. Make sure to follow the guidance of your local health authority." | 
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