The province is moving head with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan through March, with a priority on seniors and high risk populations. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

VAX ROLLOUT

Province extends time between first & second COVID-19 vaccine dose, enters phase two of plan

Mar 1, 2021 | 10:52 AM

NANAIMO — The province is strengthening its focus on providing more first COVID-19 vaccine doses rather than a quicker turnaround for the second.

Public health announced on Monday, March 1 it will now use a 16-week timeline to schedule the first and second dose for individuals to get the vaccine into more arms in a shorter space of time.

Dr. Bonnie Henry said evidence showed immunity built after the first shot was more than sufficient to curb transmission and provide a suitable level of protection against COVID-19.

“In combination with the new vaccines we have available, this gives us a very important and real benefit to everyone in B.C. That means we can move everybody up the list and more people will be protected sooner.”

Case counts among long term care residents and staff dropped substantially around two weeks after being vaccinated.

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In residents through December, January and early February, 166 cases were discovered in the first 12 days after vaccination. Just 31 were confirmed for the remainder of a 41-day sample size ending Feb. 2.

A similar trend was also evident among health care workers.

Next steps

Public health is expecting upwards of 415,000 doses of vaccine to come into the province through mid-April. It’s hoped more than 400,000 people will be immunized by early April.

On Friday, Feb. 26, Health Canada approved products from AstraZeneca and Verity-Serum Institute of India, in addition to the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines already in use.

A timeline of when people can expect to see their turn come for the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the status of B.C.’s plan to date. (BC Government)

Phase two of the plan is underway, with public health administering doses to hospital staff, community GP’s and vulnerable populations such as the homeless and those in prison.

Those segments of the population will continue receiving doses through March 15.

Seniors over the age of 80 and Indigenous elders aged 65 and over will receive their first doses beginning March 15. A call-in system to book appointments opens March 8 to those 90 or older, followed by descending five year age groups.

Island Health will publish the call-in number ahead of March 8 on their website, or the province will list it.

Once more vulnerable populations are partially protected with a first dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, phase three of the plan will begin by immunizing the general population in descending five-year age cohorts.

Mass immunization clinics will serve as the vaccination sites, including mobile clinics visiting rural communities and people who are homebound.

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