Interior Health has surpassed the 335,000 dose milestone in its COVID-19 immunization campaign, as B.C. starts booking appointments for those 43 years old and up and pregnant people.
“Across Interior Health, hundreds of people are attending their appointments at immunization clinics every day and emerging with a dose of vaccine that will protect them from serious illness or death by COVID-19,” said Susan Brown, IH president and CEO. “It’s uplifting to see the excitement of newly vaccinated people.”
IH said it is working with the First Nations Health Authority to coordinate vaccine rollout throughout the region. Together, both health authorities have administered 320,237 first doses and 16,583 second doses as of Friday, May 7th for a total of 336,820.
“I am happy to be hearing from people about their experiences at the clinics, which they describe as positive and well organized from start to finish. For that, we can thank our staff and the many volunteers across the region who are working hard to immunize people quickly and efficiently,” said Brown.
All B.C. residents 18 and older can register online, by phone or in person at a Service BC office to get notified when they can book their vaccine appointment.
“I encourage everyone who has not yet registered for their vaccine to make it a priority today. Every person who gets immunized brings us one step closer to putting this pandemic behind us,” said Brown.
Currently, the following categories of people will receive invitations to book their appointments:
- People born in 1978 or earlier (43+)
- Indigenous people born in 2003 or earlier (18+)
- Clinically extremely vulnerable people
- Pregnant people born in 2005 or earlier (16+)
Meanwhile, those 30 years old and up can receive their shot from local pharmacies.
More: AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccines In Pharmacies (B.C. Pharmacy Association)
More: COVID-19 vaccination information and registration (B.C. Government)