
In three weeks, B.C. health officials expect they will start making appointments for anyone over the age of 80 to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says those people are part of phase two, and are next in line, for the province’s mass immunization plan.
“We were hoping for February, but the vaccine has not arrived, as you know, for this past two weeks. And even (this) week is going to reduced from what we expected. It’s more going to be first of March, for people who are 80 and above in the community.”
Henry says Service BC is setting up a hot line to call people about whether they want a vaccine dose, and for booking appointments if they do, saying people will “not necessarily” be notified by their family doctor.
“So please be patient. We will have much more information about this, both through the public, to people directly, through your care providers, through community groups, to connect with elders and seniors and get them immunized as soon as we can. And the target is to be starting with our mass clinics as soon as vaccine is available, in March.”
It remains unclear exactly where vaccine clinics will be set up in the Kamloops area, but that information is expected to be available to the public later this month.
The province plans to offer a COVID-19 immunization to 300,00 residents by the end of March, before vaccine availability ramps up in April.