The B.C. government has outlined plans for rolling out COVID-19 vaccine doses to residents over the next eight months.
It says starting in mid March, residents will slowly start being notified, based largely on their age, about where and when they can get vaccinated and how to register. The province also says younger adults with vulnerable health conditions will be considered for early vaccinations, which would be between April and June.
Between April and September, B.C. expects to give out 7.4 million vaccine doses, with priorities based on age.
Right now, B.C. is in phase one of its immunization rollout, saying more than 103,000 doses have been given to residents and staff in long-term care homes, and residents in some vulnerable rural and isolated Indigenous communities.
Phase two, starting in late February, will see vaccine doses offered to acute healthcare workers, vulnerable residents, people in Indigenous communities and all seniors who are 80 years old or older.
Starting in April, phase three of distributing vaccine doses will include residents aged 79 to 75, and will work backwards in five-year increments, to include all residents aged 60 and over being vaccinated between April and June.
Finally, phase four will start in July, and will see vaccine doses offered to residents aged 59 to 55, and will allow any resident aged 18 and over to get a vaccine dose by the end of September.
In total, 4.3 million B.C. residents will be offered a vaccine dose by the end of September.
“It is important to note that no one will lose their place in line. For example, if an elderly relative is in phase two and cannot be immunized at that time, they can be immunized at any point thereafter,” the province says.
Premier John Horgan has also acknowledged the plan depends on consistent vaccine supply being available.
By the spring, along with Moderna and Pfizer vaccine doses, it also says AstraZeneca will also have a vaccine dose available, and potentially several other manufacturers as well.
In March, there will be vaccination clinics set up in 172 communities across B.C., in larger spaces like convention halls and community halls, stadiums, arenas and school gyms. Further specifics were not yet made available on locations of those clinics.
As of Thursday afternoon, there had been just under 63,000 COVID-19 cases across B.C., and the virus had killed 1,119, predominantly seniors in long-term care. There were 309 people in hospital with the virus as of yesterday, with 68 people in critical care units, and active cases were at 4,450 province wide, including 1,098 in Interior Health (25 per cent of total cases).
More to come.
