People at higher risk of COVID-19 due to existing medical conditions will be able to register for their COVID-19 vaccine beginning next Monday, March 29.
The province says about 200,000 people aged 16 and older who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be eligible to receive their first dose in the coming weeks. Those identified as extremely vulnerable include transplant recipients and people suffering from severe respiratory conditions or various forms of cancer.
“B.C. has made tremendous progress on our age-based vaccine program,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said, in a statement. “Now, we are able to expand to those people who are at increased risk from COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions or various medical treatments. Clinical experts have now determined those who have a high risk of severe illness from the virus and now have the vaccine supply to protect these most vulnerable people.”
The province says some of these clinically vulnerable people will have already been immunized as part of the age-based vaccine program that began earlier this month.
People who are eligible will get a letter in the mail letting them know how to book an appointment. They’ll also have to bring that letter with them when they go to get their vaccination.
If people who believe they should be part of this group haven’t got a letter by April 15, they’re asked to call the provincial online booking system – expected to launch on April 6 – to confirm if they are on the list. If they are not, they can reach out to their physician or nurse practitioner about their eligibility.
“Since day one of our immunization plan, we have set out to protect those who are most at risk to COVID-19,” said Dr. Penny Ballem, the executive lead of B.C.’s immunization plan. “We used clinical evidence from around the world and clinical expertise and patient registries in B.C. to develop this list and look forward to taking another important step forward in our immunization plan.”
Further, B.C. is also further accelerating its age-based vaccine rollout starting with people born in 1945.
These people can now call to book an appointment on Wednesday, March. 24 at noon. People born in 1946 can do so on Thursday, while those born in 1947 can start booking appointments on Friday.
(Photo via Interior Health)
