All Things COVID-19

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We're working quickly to book appointments and have accelerated the call-in schedule. If you're born in 1936 or earlier (85+) you can call starting March 11 at 12 pm.

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Vaccine call centres for seniors are open. You can book a vaccine appointment for yourself or your spouse. You can also have a family member or friend call for you. It's easy and safe to book over the phone.

Last updated: March 10, 2021

When you can call is based on your age​

I'm born in 1931 or earlier (90+) or I'm Indigenous and born in 1956 or earlier (65+)​

Please call now.

I'm born in 1936 or earlier (85+)​

You can call starting March 11 at 12 pm.

I'm born in 1941 or earlier (80+)​

Please call the week of March 22.

Get ready to call​

When you call your health authority, you'll be asked for:
  • First and last name
  • Date of birth
  • Postal code
  • Personal Health Number
You can find your Personal Health Number on the back of your B.C. driver's licence, BC Services Card or CareCard. If you do not have a Personal Health Number, you can still receive the vaccine.
We'll also ask you for contact information:
  • An email address that gets checked regularly
    or
  • A phone number that can receive text messages
We will never ask you for your SIN, driver's licence number or banking and credit card details.

I'm calling for myself​

Here's what happens when you call:
  • The phone agent verifies your age and asks for your personal information
  • You work with the phone agent to select an appointment time slot at a clinic close to home
  • The phone agent confirms your appointment time and clinic location
  • If you've provided contact information, you get a confirmation message sent by email or text

I'm calling on behalf of someone​

Here's what happens when you call on behalf of someone:
  • The phone agent verifies who you are calling for and asks you to provide their age and personal information
  • You work with the phone agent to select an appointment time slot at a clinic close to the home of the person you're calling for
  • The phone agent confirms the appointment time and clinic location
  • If you've provided contact information, you get a confirmation message sent by email or text

Select your health authority and call​

All call centres are open. The first day appointments are available is March 15.

Not sure who to call? Find out what health authority you live in.

Call centre hours​

Seven days a week
7 am to 7 pm (PST/PDT)​

Phone lines may be busy.

Fraser Health​

Call: 1-855-755-2455​

Book online​

Fraser Health clinic locations

Interior Health​

Call: 1-877-740-7747​

Interior Health clinic locations

Island Health​

Call: 1-833-348-4787​

Island Health clinic locations and call-in schedule

Northern Health​

Call: 1-844-255-7555​

Northern Health clinic locations and call-in schedule

Vancouver Coastal Health​

Call: 1-877-587-5767​

Vancouver Coastal Health clinic locations and call-in schedule
Note: Northern Health and some rural and smaller communities in B.C. may have different call-in schedules. Review your health authority call-in schedule to confirm when you should call.

I'm calling and the line is busy​

If you are calling and getting a busy signal:

  • Try calling back later in the day or the next day
  • Do not redial
  • Wait until it's your turn to call. If you are not eligible, you won't be able to book an appointment
  • Do not have more than one person calling for you

What to expect at the vaccine clinic​

Only people who are eligible and have an appointment will get their vaccine dose. Please do not show up at a clinic unless you have an appointment and your age group is eligible.

As part of Phase 2, you will get either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. A choice will not be offered.

Arrive prepared​

Get ready for your appointment:
  • Wear a short-sleeved shirt and a mask
  • Arrive a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time
You can bring one person with you for support.
All clinics are wheelchair accessible. You will be provided a mask if you need one.

During the appointment​

At the clinic you will:
  • Complete a check-in process
  • Get your vaccine dose
  • Wait in an observation area for about 15 minutes
You can expect to be at the clinic for 30 to 60 minutes in total.

I still have questions​

Need help? Talk to a Service BC agent about non-health related information and services related to COVID-19.
Service is available 7:30 am to 8 pm.
Call: 1-888-COVID19

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/seniors
 
Gong Show said:
I'm hearing lots of light hearted banter about people finally having a healthy reason to go to Port Hardy!
Click to expand...
I wonder how they will ensure that those small towns don't get swamped with vaccine tourists for a day? Will they require proof of residence?
 

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Had a close contact exposure at work, luckily I’m vaccinated. Had to have the nasal swab done, I clearly haven’t been going deep enough on people. If they aren’t tearing up your doing it wrong they said, like a hot needle to the brain.
 
They did that to my five year old. We had practiced the gargle and spit, but not with saline, rookie mistake. So when the saline solution hit the back of her throat, she balked. The swab up the nose came quickly and there were tears!
Poor kid.

Edit: This happened in October or something, when the first round of sniffles hit the kids at school. The rule said any one symptom required a test. Soon after being swamped by the wee school kids, that was changed to two symptoms.
 

COVID-19: Those with weakened immune systems may reveal the secrets to the variant mystery​


“One of the mutations we found led us to discover the B.1.1.7 variant because this mutation in our patient that had emerged in response to treatment actually was one of the key mutations found in the B.1.1.7,” Gupta said.

“We were the first to actually show that in vitro, these mutations actually had a functional impact. And therefore, this was a sign that the virus was not only evolving, but actually doing things to overcome treatments that we were throwing at the virus.”

Unfortunately, both patients in the U.K. and Boston passed away.

But they did provide key insight into the need to control community spread, to protect those most vulnerable and to ramp up vaccinations."

globalnews.ca

COVID-19: Those with weakened immune systems may reveal the secrets to the variant mystery - National | Globalnews.ca

There are a growing number of cases, showing evidence of immunocompromised COVID-19 patients accelerating viral evolution.
globalnews.ca globalnews.ca
 
Capital Daily - IN-DEPTH REPORTING AND LONGFORM JOURNALISM FROM VICTORIA

Vancouver Island's race between variants and vaccines​

By Brishti Basu

March 13, 2021
The Island has contained the variant cases that it knows of so far, but vaccination is still in the early stages

Just when the world was ready to celebrate the start of immunizations and a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, a new problem emerged, threatening to throw a wrench in people’s hopes of achieving a post-pandemic world by fall.

This problem arrived in British Columbia in February, then quickly found a stronghold and has been spreading at a worrying pace ever since.

About one month ago, BC had 46 recorded cases of COVID-19 in which the virus had mutated into a version—a “variant”—that spreads more easily. The latest counts show that within just four weeks, that number has grown to 638, with 89 of those cases currently active.

In any virus, variants emerge constantly, and COVID-19 has been no exception. But some variants are more dangerous than others, hence the common term “variants of concern.”

So far, three variants of concern have been detected in BC: the B117 variant, which originated in the UK, the B1351 variant from South Africa, and most recently the P1 variant first seen in Brazil. The most widespread of these is the UK variant, with a total of 588 cases recorded in BC.

Part of the growth in cases in the province can be attributed to a new system implemented in the first week of March that screens all positive COVID-19 cases for possible variants of concern, yielding faster data.

Seven of BC’s variant cases are on Vancouver Island, and according to Island Health medical health officer Dr. Mike Benusic, there is no concern that the variant has spread any more than that. But that does not mean we’re completely in the clear.

“There's some new evidence to suggest that [the UK variant causes] more severe disease than non-variants. What's actually really good to know about the B117 is that it doesn't appear that vaccines are substantially less effective against [it],” he said.

Way More...:
https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/covid-variants-vancouver-island
 
IronNoggin said:

COVID-19: Those with weakened immune systems may reveal the secrets to the variant mystery​


“One of the mutations we found led us to discover the B.1.1.7 variant because this mutation in our patient that had emerged in response to treatment actually was one of the key mutations found in the B.1.1.7,” Gupta said.

“We were the first to actually show that in vitro, these mutations actually had a functional impact. And therefore, this was a sign that the virus was not only evolving, but actually doing things to overcome treatments that we were throwing at the virus.”

Unfortunately, both patients in the U.K. and Boston passed away.

But they did provide key insight into the need to control community spread, to protect those most vulnerable and to ramp up vaccinations."

globalnews.ca

COVID-19: Those with weakened immune systems may reveal the secrets to the variant mystery - National | Globalnews.ca

There are a growing number of cases, showing evidence of immunocompromised COVID-19 patients accelerating viral evolution.
globalnews.ca globalnews.ca
Click to expand...
One would guess Covid is doing what it was designed to do?? As above vaccine is working on variants. No need to worry.

HM
 
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UPDATE: Call centres are processing vaccination appointment bookings ahead of schedule.
Starting March 15 at 12PM, seniors aged 84+ and Indigenous people’s 65+ can call to book a vaccine appointment.

To help manage the flow of calls throughout the week, we are asking eligible seniors or those assisting them to call only when they are scheduled to do so.

•Monday: 84+ (1937 or earlier)
•Tuesday: 83+ (1938 or earlier)
•Wednesday: 82+ (1939 or earlier)
•Thursday: 81+ (1940 or earlier)
•Friday: 80+ (1941 or earlier)

Details here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/seniors
 
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