B.C. has reduced the timeline between first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses to eight weeks for people who have received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Before today, the timeline for all doses had been set at 13 weeks apart earlier this month. Throughout the spring, the interval between doses was 16 weeks, as the province aimed to get more people a single dose sooner.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says that National Advisory Committee on Immunizations has changed its guidance interchanging mRNA vaccines, which namely are Pfizer and Moderna, and the committee now says people can receive a mix of doses if needed.
Henry says most people who received Pfizer or Moderna will still get the same brand of vaccine for their second dose, but some people who received Moderna may receive Pfizer based on supply issues. She says Moderna doses are being rolled out to rural and First Nations communities for second-dose clinics.
Meanwhile, for those who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is a viral vector vaccine and not mRNA, Henry is asking those people to “hold on tight for a few more days.”
She says B.C. is awaiting health guidance on the timeline between doses, saying the current evidence on hand says AstraZeneca has a better efficacy rate if administered 12 weeks apart. B.C. is also waiting for a study from the U.K., which will come next week, and will say whether someone who received a viral vector vaccine for dose one could receive an mRNA vaccine for dose two, or vice versa.
Henry adds that every person aged 12 and older in B.C. will have been offered a second vaccine dose by the end of summer. Booking first appointments is now open for all people 12 and older, and Henry encourages people to register for a vaccine dose if they haven’t already.
As of today, now 3,032,811 vaccine doses have been administered in B.C. to more than 2.87 million people. That means 52,860 vaccine doses have been administered in the past day.
Meanwhile, B.C. reported 378 new cases of COVID-19 today and seven deaths from the virus.
There were 68 new cases today in Interior Health, as well as 189 in Fraser Health, 98 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 14 in Northern Health and nine in Island Health.
Hospitalizations have dropped slightly today, with now 286 people in hospital and 88 in intensive care. Active cases dropped by 37, to now 3,543.
Today, Henry also explained more details on guidance for religious gatherings now being allowed. She says organized indoor services with up to 50 people can happen, as long as the groups have safety plans in place.
