VICTORIA - British Columbia is offering a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to seniors, starting with residents of long-term care and assisted-living homes as the level of protection since their last shot up to six months ago is waning.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that people over age 70 in the community, Indigenous people 55 and up and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable will also be included in a vaccination campaign that will ramp up through the spring.
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Henry said a second booster shot is not expected to be offered to younger people, who are less likely to be hospitalized.
"I don't foresee that in the near future. We don't know what's going to happen when we come up to late summer, early fall when we expect to be back in respiratory season," she said.
It's possible that an annual booster shot will be needed, though maybe only for people who are most at risk of infection, Henry said.
About 50 per cent of B.C.'s population has developed antibodies to the virus through vaccination or infection, Henry said.
Transmission, hospitalizations and deaths have levelled off markedly, she said.
Henry said that means it's time to move away from public health orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended a fourth dose for those who are more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
Quebec said Tuesday that it would be expanding access to fourth doses, while Ontario said it would announce a plan Wednesday to start offering an additional booster to people 60 and older.
