Thursday, January 1, 2026
ADVT 
National

B.C. set to unveil second COVID immunization phase

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Jan, 2021 05:57 PM
  • B.C. set to unveil second COVID immunization phase

Health officials have called off the regular COVID-19 briefing in British Columbia as they prepare to update the province's strategy for immunization against the virus.

An advisory from the premier's office says the briefing by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix is cancelled.

Instead they will join a news conference Friday with Premier John Horgan and Dr. Penny Ballem, who is leading B.C.'s COVID-19 immunization rollout.

The four are expected to comment on the next steps in the immunization program that has been complicated by a hiccup in vaccine supply from Pfizer-BioNTech.

Nearly 31,000 doses of vaccine the province expected by Jan. 29 could be curtailed due to production issues.

Two doses of the vaccine are needed to ensure immunity from the virus that causes COVID-19 and Dix said Tuesday that B.C. was set to begin delivery of second doses and remains committed to ensuring all those who have had the first shot get a second within 35 days.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Dix and Henry confirmed 98,125 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have already been administered.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. doubles treatment beds for youth

B.C. doubles treatment beds for youth
The British Columbia government says it is committing $36 million over nearly three years to fund more addiction treatment space for youth.

B.C. doubles treatment beds for youth

University of Victoria hires new president

University of Victoria hires new president
A year-long search for a new president has taken the University of Victoria to Australia to hire a Canadian man.

University of Victoria hires new president

RCMP charge man after drugs, weapons, cash seized

RCMP charge man after drugs, weapons, cash seized
A five-month investigation in B.C. has resulted in charges against a man in what Ridge Meadows RCMP say is the largest seizure of drugs, weapons and cash in the detachment's history.

RCMP charge man after drugs, weapons, cash seized

Food surplus program finally rolls out

Food surplus program finally rolls out
More than 12 million eggs will be redistributed via an emergency federal program designed to help farmers faced with too much food and nowhere to sell it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food surplus program finally rolls out

Top court won't review disclosure ruling

Top court won't review disclosure ruling
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a judge's decision to grant author Steven Galloway access to emails between a woman who accused him of sexual assault and staff at the University of British Columbia.

Top court won't review disclosure ruling

Wage subsidy could cost less than expected

Wage subsidy could cost less than expected
Canada's official fiscal watchdog says the federal wage subsidy program might cost $14 billion less than the government predicted.

Wage subsidy could cost less than expected