The province will offer free additional COVID-19 vaccines to BC residents starting Tuesday, April 8, with a focus on individuals at higher risk of illness.
“While the peak of respiratory illnesses has passed, influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are still circulating, and we must continue to practise healthy habits to prevent illness from spreading,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer for British Columbia, in an announcement from the province. “This is particularly important as spring break ends, a period when many people have been travelling. This is a reminder to stay home if you are sick, and if you need medical care, call ahead so you can be seen safely.”
The vaccine will be available at approximately 400 pharmacies throughout the province. It will also be offered at regional health authority clinics, primary-care offices, community health centres, long-term care homes and First Nations communities.
Public health units will also have vaccines available for children under the age of 12.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends the following groups receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this spring:
- Adults 65 years and older, with a particular focus on those over 80 years
- Indigenous adults 55 years and older
- Adult residents of long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities
- Individuals six months and older who are clinically extremely vulnerable
In addition, five recent measles outbreaks in the province and a worldwide resurgence have prompted a response from the BC government.
“Increasingly, we’re seeing cases of measles in parts of Canada, with outbreaks in Ontario and cases here in BC as well as around the world,” said Henry. “Measles can cause serious illness, particularly for young people who are not vaccinated. Tragically, we had one death in Canada last year.”
People at the highest risk for measles are those who are completely unvaccinated and have no immunity from past exposures. The province is urging people in BC to check their immunization records to ensure they are up to date with their measles vaccines.
This can be done by visiting Health Gateway or contacting a health-care provider.
Health officials are asking BC residents to monitor their symptoms if they have recently travelled, as cases in the Lower Mainland have stemmed from travel to areas with recent measles outbreaks.
Adults born in 1970 or later should ensure they have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, as one dose is not enough to ensure adequate protection against the disease.
Adults born before 1970 are generally assumed to have been exposed to the disease and acquired immunity before immunizations were widely available.
You can get free measles vaccines at your local health unit or health centre. Children aged 4 years and older, as well as adults, can be vaccinated at any pharmacy. In First Nations communities, people can also be immunized by their community health nurse at their community health centre or nursing station.
