Island Health hosted its first vaccination clinic in Island Health on Tuesday, Dec. 22. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

VACCINE LAUNCH

First COVID-19 vaccinations occur on Vancouver Island, nine new cases announced

Dec 22, 2020 | 4:06 PM

NANAIMO — Efforts to vaccinate frontline health care workers in Island Health have officially begun.

The first of 1,950 doses of the approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was administered to Dena Scriven, a long-term care nursing assistant in Victoria on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Similar clinics were opened across B.C. as well.

Island Health, like other health authorities in B.C., are not taking appointments to receive the vaccine and will follow direction from the provincial health officer on distribution of available doses.

Vaccinations took place as Island Health reported nine new cases of COVID-19, part of 444 across the province. It’s one of the lowest daily increases for B.C. in several weeks.

The number of active cases went to 9,481, down over 200 from Monday’s update. A total of 357 people are in hospital, 84 of whom are receiving intensive care, both slightly up Monday.

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Within Island Health, 65 active cases remain with five people hospitalized including one receiving critical care. The health authority remains the least affected by the COVID-19 pandemic after outbreaks in both the Interior and Northern Health in recent weeks.

A further 12 people passed away as fatalities due to COVID-19 remain high. The death toll currently sits at 777.

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