The number of people seeking a second COVID-19 booster shot in British Columbia has tripled each week after the province reluctantly expanded access to the vaccines.
From Monday, adults who have been at least six months since their last dose are eligible for the fourth. The Department of Health tells CTV News that 1,356 people received their second booster that day, compared to 468 the previous Monday.
Last week, a total of 32,477 second booster doses were administered in British Columbia, which lags most of Canada in taking up a fourth dose due to limited access.
The province has come under increasing pressure to expand access beyond those 70 and older or with certain serious health conditions after Quebec allowed all adults to get their second booster and increasing numbers of British Columbians left for Washington state to get a booster there.
When she announced the policy change on Friday, the head of British Columbia’s COVID-19 vaccination program repeatedly stressed that they would prefer people get their fourth dose of the vaccine starting in September, when the respiratory illness season starts to ramp up, but acknowledged, that some people may want extra protection now that British Columbia is grappling with a new wave of infections and hospitalizations driven by a subvariant of Omicron.
DISTURBING FORECASTS FROM THE MODELING GROUP
Academics and independent scientists analyzing pandemic trends for the British Columbia COVID-19 Modeling Group warn that — while variations in population infections and vaccinations, plus limited data, make detailed predictions difficult — the current wave will be ugly.
“(Omicron subvariant) BA.5 is going up and going up pretty quickly, so we expect to see this next wave of BA.5 really break out in July, peaking sometime in August,” said a group member and professor of biomathematics at UBC Sarah Otto .
“It tends to be a bit milder and an upper respiratory infection, but there are so many people infected with these Omicron strains that it can add up to huge hospitalizations and deaths.”
She urges anyone who has health problems or spends time with the most at-risk to consider getting their second booster dose now, noting that antibodies from previous vaccinations and infections are mostly gone within six months.
ONTARIO FOLLOWS PR
Ontario made a similar announcement about BC’s expansion proposal on Wednesday, opening up availability for second boosters, but with the same advice to wait until the fall, especially for those who are young, healthy and have already had their first booster.
Despite the confusion and conflicting information presented by B.C. public health agencies via text messages and social media messages, Dr. Penny Ballem was clear that for those who want a booster before the fall, “you can call the call center now and we will arrange for you to receive a booster now.
Information on how to reserve a COVID-19 booster shot is available online through the Immunize BC website or through the helpline at 1-833-838-2323.
Health professionals and experts of all stripes stress that the third dose, or first booster dose, is especially important and have urged officials to update the definition of “fully vaccinated” as a result.
Are you older than six months after your last vaccination and refused a booster? We want to hear from you.
Add Comment