This week, Vancouver Island hit a very exciting milestone in the COVID-19 Vaccination schedule.
According to Island Health, 506,251 people living in the health authority have received their first dose. This means roughly 65 per cent of the region’s population (ages 12+) are now protected with one dose of vaccine.
Island Health says they are booking and administering vaccines with “increasing speed”.
“As the number of people we vaccinate continues to rise, the level of protection against this virus grows daily” Island Health chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Standwick said, in a release Friday.
Vaccination against COVID-19 began in December, focusing on health care workers and seniors in long-term facilities, an age based system also focusing on the extremely and clinically vulnerable.
This week, BC announced they were using the same structure to administer the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines as they did the first dose.
With increased supply of vaccines arriving, the province is moving forward onto administering second doses which can be given 8 weeks after first dose.
Read also: Second COVID-19 vaccine doses can now be given 8 weeks after first dose: BC Health Officials
As of Thursday, May 17th Island Health reports 29,773 residents have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Anyone who is not registered should register now in one of three ways:
- 24/7, online: https://gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
- through a provincial call centre between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Pacific time) at 1 833 838-2323
- in person at the nearest Service BC location
Once registered, you will be contacted to book your appointment.
For more information visit the BC Government’s Vaccination and Immunization page.
As of this publication, there are currently only 83 active cases in the Island Health region.
