BC announces ramped-up booster program during last COVID presser of 2021

On Friday, provincial health officer Dr Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix, and Dr Penny Ballem provided an end-of-year briefing on BC’s COVID response, with an update on ramping up the province’s booster program.

Henry began the press conference by announcing visits to long term care would be restricted to essential visitors only as Omicron cases continue to soar in the province.

As well, she announced changes to the province’s self-isolation period requirements for fully vaccinated people. Those who have two shots and whose symptoms are resolving or have no symptoms will now be required to isolate for five days, as opposed to the previous requirement of seven days.

“After five, if your symptoms have resolved or have mostly improved, you can go back to activities in the community wearing a mask for an additional five days,” she said, adding this is a “risk mitigation strategy.”

“But it doesn’t mean you can go visit long term care. You need to be very careful about not going to gatherings for the additional five days. Wearing a mask when you’re around other people to make sure you’re taking all the additional precautions to reduce that risk too.”

Unvaccinated people will still need to isolate for 10 days.

As for boosters, the timing for these shots will be moved up to six months, a switch from the previous six to eight-month wait period after the second dose.

“With the rise of Omicron and the need to protect as many workers as possible, we’re also moving up the timing to six months for most people,” said Henry.

Pregnant people will also be prioritized now to get their booster doses. Those who are pregnant and are at the six-month period after their second dose are eligible now for their booster regardless of their age. They will need to call 1-833-838-2323 to book a booster dose in the coming days.

Ballem, who leads the province’s vaccination rollout, said the vaccine program will “adjust a bit” in BC.

Everyone at six months who is 60 and over will be sent an invitation for their booster “by the end of this week” said Ballem.

“Now that our vulnerable and seniors are protected, we’re moving to an interval-based invitation process,” she explained.

People who are getting to the six month mark after their second dose, between the ages of 18 to 59 will be receiving an invitation “as close as we can to that date,” said Ballem.

“I think at the end of the day, the onset of Omicron … has really changed the need. And as Dr Henry has said, this pandemic has really forced us to move, and change and readapt to its changing nature and the kinds of risks it is presenting for us,” she said.

She added that there is currently a backlog of people under the age of 60 who are over the six-month period.

“It’s quite a large backlog. It’s about 800,000 people who may be a few days to a couple of weeks beyond their six-month interval.”

The first priority, she said, is to address this group to get them their invitations.

She explained the change in strategy is due to BC prioritizing healthcare and frontline workers to get their first and second doses at the beginning of the province’s rollout. “And now they constitute a large part of the group that are now overdue for their six-month booster.”

To increase capacity, Ballem said the health authorities are working to gain access to more spaces—like sports and convention centres—to administer vaccines.

The province has also reached out to the BC College of Nurses and the College and Physicians to recruit more immunizers and has received 1,100 people who have responded in the past 24 hours to contribute to the booster campaign.

Ballem said eligible people between 18 and 59 should be able to find a booking when they receive their invite between one to five weeks “depending on where they live.” Some may have to wait longer due to their region and logistics, and others will be able to find an appointment quickly.

As BC plans to increase booster capacity and when there are more appointments available, people can go to the online booking system to find a quicker appointment.

As for those who are concerned that their booster appointments have been overlooked or delayed, Ballem assured that invitations are on their way.

“Wait for your invite; it’s going to come,” she said. “It will arrive pretty much exactly on the day that you’ve reached six months.”