Provincial Heath Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced today (April 5, 2022) that the province will soon begin a spring COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign, starting with Elders and seniors living in long-term care and assisted living.
The spring booster campaign aims to continue keeping hospitalizations and COVID-19 outbreaks low in BC, as seen with the success of the first booster dose.
All residents living in long-term care will be offered their spring booster about six months after their last COVID-19 vaccine, with a four month minimum interval.
Those in assisted living who are 70 or older, and Indigenous people who are 55 or older, will also be offered a booster if it's been six months since their last dose.
Please note that this represents a second booster dose, or a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine. The first two doses were offered to people throughout 2021 as the primary series, with boosters beginning in October 2021 for older residents.
Eligible Indigenous people who received their booster dose six months ago or more will receive an invitation to schedule their next booster in regional clinics or participating pharmacies. Clinics will also be held in community with support from the FNHA.
As with the first booster dose, the second booster dose will be a choice between Pfizer and Moderna. Individuals wishing to have the non-mRNA Novavax vaccine should contact the provincial Get Vaccinated system to get registered for this vaccine.
Elders and those considered clinically extremely vulnerable should consider becoming fully vaccinated, including all applicable boosters, in order to reduce the chances of severe illness and hospitalization.
Get Vaccinated
If you're unvaccinated or have only had one dose:
If you are fully vaccinated (two doses) and your second shot was over six months ago:
Pregnant people are at higher risk due to COVID-19 and are eligible for a booster shot eight weeks after their second dose.
The efficacy of all vaccines fades over time, which is why boosters are needed to keep protection high.
