Supplies of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be made available in B.C. in the coming weeks, with a priority on healthcare workers. (Government of British Columbia)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

healthcare workers first

Limited amount of Johnson & Johnson vaccines coming to B.C.

Nov 9, 2021 | 4:35 PM

NANAIMO — Anyone in B.C. waiting for a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine will have a chance to roll up their sleeves for one in the coming weeks.

The province said on Tuesday, Nov. 9, there will be a “limited supply” of J&J vaccines entering the country soon with a portion of them heading to our province.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her regular COVID-19 update, we should see some of the J&J vaccines by next week.

“Our first priority will be offering it to health care workers who have been affected by the PHO (provincial health officer) order and who want this vaccine as an option for them to continue to safely work in healthcare.”

Approximately two per cent of healthcare workers from Island Health remain off the job for failing to be partially or fully vaccinated.

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More details for those not in healthcare who want access to the J&J vaccine will be available next week. Dr. Henry said they will be directed to a central call number for appointments to distribute the limited supply.

New data from public showed shows B.C.’s transmission rate, or the average number of people a single infected person could possibly transmit to, has dropped just below one.

It means the virus is spreading to fewer people, something Henry attributed to the rise in immunization numbers.

However, she remains cautious about the Delta variant.

“It’s more transmissible and causing more severe illness particularly in younger people who did not have very severe illnesses for most of this pandemic. That has changed now and it has put a strain on our health care system as well.”

She said if we don’t continue staying vigilant and doing things like washing our hands, limiting indoor social gatherings and wearing a mask in indoor public settings, the transmission rate could slowly inch higher again as we enter the winter season.

Health Minister Adrian Dix provided some additional data on vaccination rates among healthcare workers.

He said since their last update, 1,548 healthcare workers have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

He also said of the 1,366 total doctors across B.C., only 10 of them have yet to receive their first dose.

Province-wide, 86.3 per cent, or 3,733,309 eligible people aged 12 and up have received their second dose.

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