B.C. to ramp up COVID-19 booster program

British Columbia will be following the recommendations for the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and rolling out more COVID-19 booster shots to the public.

On Friday, NACI updated its recommendations on booster shots to include all Canadians aged 50 and over.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she was very pleased to see these recommendations, noting they aligned with the actions already underway in B.C.

Henry noted that B.C. opened third doses for the clinically immuno-suppressed, who were considered the most at risk of severe illness if they contracted COVID-19. With NACI now suggesting those individuals get another booster, B.C. will follow that recommendation.

B.C. had been taking a ‘risk-based approach’ in its booster program, offering the extra shots to the most vulnerable populations first. Henry said, as of the end of this week, over 90 per cent of British Columbians over the age of 70 or considered immuno-suppressed will have received an invitation to get a booster.

As this milestone is reached, the province will expand its booster program starting next week to include people aged 65 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable, meaning those who are not classified as ‘immuno-suppressed’ but still have a higher risk of severe illness when compared to someone with a healthy immune system.

Following this group, the province will move to offering booster shots to groups based on age.

B.C.’s top doctor noted that research from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) shows that the COVID-19 vaccines, including the boosters, are most effective when administered six to eight months apart, and the province will follow that guidance in inviting people to get their jabs.

Henry notes that the booster program has been a success so far, pointing to how outbreaks at long-term care facilities have dropped from 20 pre-booster to just two as of Tuesday.

The province will roll out the next round of boosters by partnering with pharmacies across the province and getting them connected to the Get Registered program. This will allow people to find locations near them when they register for their shots and be able to access them easier.

The province’s child immunization program started last week, and Henry is encouraging parents and guardians register their kids for a dose.

She said she’s very confident with the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, pointing to how it was reviewed and approved by Health Canada and how millions of children around the world have received doses safely.

She recommends that anyone with concerns of the vaccines visit the BCCDC’s website or the Kids Boost Immunity website, or that they speak with their family doctor, pediatrician, nurse practitioner or pharmacist.

Henry also said Tuesday that the province is expecting to get a shipment of AstraZeneca in the coming week for people who have been awaiting a second dose of that vaccine. The province will be contacting people to arrange for them to get their second jabs.

The province also has a number of Jansen (formerly Johnson & Johnson) vaccines available, and British Columbians who wish to get access to a dose of that vaccine can call 1-833-838-2323 to set up an appointment.