A new type of COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available in B.C. for adults 18 and older.<\/p>\n
Health Canada approved on Sept. 1 what\u2019s called a bivalent, or combination vaccine. It has two proteins from different strains of the virus that causes COVID. B.C.\u2019s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said yesterday that it targets all strains of the Omicron variant.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This] stimulates a very strong immune boost against all of the Omicron strains,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n
B.C. Health will prioritize who gets a shot of the new vaccine by who\u2019s at most risk of getting severely sick. That includes people 60 years and older, those immunocompromised, and Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n
British Columbians registered for vaccinations will get an invitation to book an appointment for their next shot in the coming weeks, Henry said.<\/p>\n
Currently those without any shots can book an appointment for their first doses at any time. Same goes for people with less than three doses\u2014as long as it\u2019s been six months since their last shot.<\/p>\n
People who have been infected with COVID-19, should wait three months after their recovery before booking their next shot.<\/p>\n
Vaccines are available for people six month old and up.<\/p>\n
Immunity levels against COVID-19 in B.C. are currently good, Henry said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because a relatively high number of British Columbians have received three doses of vaccine, 67 per cent of those eligible, and many have also been sick, which gives them immunity.<\/p>\n
Those who have received three doses and have been sick have the highest immunity, it\u2019s called hybrid immunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are far fewer people in our community now \u2026 who are at risk of severe illness from COVID.\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n
Vaccines are also \u201cvery, very available,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Despite this, B.C.\u2019s Minister of Health Adrian Dix said, we\u2019re not out of the woods of this pandemic yet.<\/p>\n
Health care workers are \u00a0feeling the strain from the spread of COVID among their own members, and the continued high workload.<\/p>\n
Many more workers than usual were off sick the week before Labour Day\u2014about 15,800, Dix said. Last fall, there were 203,315<\/a> total health care workers in B.C.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Henry said, we don\u2019t know what variants will come next.<\/p>\n Influenza is another factor health officials are keeping an eye on. The flu was bad in Australia and New Zealand this past winter, and Henry is expecting the same in Canada.<\/p>\n However, although enacting more public health restrictions isn\u2019t out of the realm of possibility, Henry doesn\u2019t think it will be necessary.<\/p>\n People know what they need to do. Things like having good ventilation in indoor spaces, staying home when sick, keep up with vaccinations, and washing hands and cleaning.<\/p>\n These practices are \u201cbaked in,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can trust people now in our community to do those measures,\u201d Henry said, \u201cwe don\u2019t need a heavy hand of putting in legal restrictions, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n