British Columbia COVID-19 vaccine plan Phase 2 details

More than 400,000 people in the province will be immunized from March to early April as the province moves into Phase 2 of its four-step plan in the largest immunization rollout in BC’s history.
First-dose immunizations have already begun for those living and working in independent living centres and seniors’ supportive housing, as well as home-care support clients and staff. Health authorities will directly contact those in this priority group to book appointments, so there’s no need to call.
Starting on Monday, March 15, COVID-19 vaccination clinics will open to eligible seniors. People 80 years of age and older, and Indigenous people 65 years of age and older, will be eligible to be vaccinated. According to Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), most vaccination clinics will be open seven days
a week.
An appointment booking toll-free phone line will begin operating on Monday, March 8, from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week. Those eligible can book their appointment by age group by calling 1-877-587-5767. Immunization clinic locations will be confirmed at the time of booking.
VCH is asking people, before calling the phone line, to have a pen and paper, their personal health number, full name, date of birth, postal code, and a phone number available.
In mid-April, Phase 3 will begin mass vaccination of people aged 79 to 60 years, and people aged 16+ who are extremely clinically vulnerable, at community immunization clinics throughout BC. Mobile clinics will be available in some rural communities and for people who are homebound due to mobility issues. In Phase 3, British Columbians will register and book their appointments to receive their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine through an online registration tool. People born between 1942 and 1946 (ages 79-75), and Indigenous peoples born between the years of 1956 and 1960 (ages 64-60), will be able to register for an appointment online or by phone by
March 31.
“We can now see the light at the end of what has been a difficult and challenging time for us all. To get us through, we need to continue to work together and support each other,” said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry at a news conference on Monday. “We are working hard each and every day to make sure that everyone who wants a vaccine gets one, and my new provincial health officer order significantly expands the range of health professions and occupations who can support our immunization clinics, including dentists, midwives, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, firefighters and retired nurses.”
Dr. Henry also announced that BC is extending the timeline between the first and second doses of all three vaccines to free up doses for younger age groups earlier.
“The important thing that we have learned is that these vaccines work, they give a very high level of protection, and that protection lasts for many months,” said Henry. “As a result, we are now extending the interval between our first dose and the second booster dose of the vaccines, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as the AstraZeneca vaccine, to four months or 16 weeks.”
Every eligible adult in the province should receive their first dose of a vaccine by July.
The Local