Appointments triple after B.C. expands 2nd booster access
CTV
The number of people seeking second COVID-19 booster vaccinations in British Columbia tripled week-over-week after the province grudgingly expanded access to the shots.
The number of people seeking second COVID-19 booster vaccinations in British Columbia tripled week-over-week after the province grudgingly expanded access to the shots.
Starting on Monday, adults who were at least least six months past their last dose were eligible for their fourth. The Ministry of Health tells CTV News on that day 1,356 people got their second booster, compared to 468 the previous Monday.
In the past week a total of 32,477 second booster doses were administered in B.C., which lags behind most of Canada in fourth dose uptake due to limited access.
The province had come under increasing pressure to expand access beyond those aged 70 and older or with defined, serious health issues after Quebec allowed all adults to get their second booster and an increasing number of British Columbians drove to Washington state to get boosted there.
When she announced the policy change Friday, the head of B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccination program repeatedly emphasized they would prefer for people to get their fourth dose of the vaccine starting in September, when the respiratory illness season starts ramping up, but acknowledged some people may want the extra protection now that B.C. is grappling with a new wave of infections and hospitalizations driven by an Omicron sub-variant.
Ontario made a similar announcement Wednesday, expanding availability but with the same advice to wait until fall.
Despite the confusion and conflicting information put forward by B.C. public health agencies via text messages and social media messaging, Dr. Penny Ballem was clear that for those who want a booster before the fall, “you can call the call centre now and we’ll arrange for you to have a booster now.”
