B.C. rolls out spring COVID-19 booster shots
British Columbia’s Health Minister Adrian Dix has announced the launch of a spring COVID-19 booster campaign targeting seniors, Indigenous people over 55, and residents of long-term care homes. The campaign, which began with invitations to book vaccinations on Monday, is part of the province’s efforts to maintain immunity against the virus, especially among vulnerable populations. Concurrently, the province is lifting the mandatory mask-wearing requirement for health-care workers in public settings, signaling a shift in the province’s approach to managing COVID-19 as infection rates decline.
The decision to recommend booster shots comes as the province has observed a decrease in COVID-19 infections, prompting a return to pre-respiratory illness season protocols. Health-care workers will still wear protective equipment as determined by individual health-care facilities’ risk assessments. While mandatory masking in health-care settings is ending, the public is still encouraged to wear masks, cover coughs, and isolate when sick to prevent the spread of infections.
The 2023-24 respiratory illness immunization campaign, which began on October 10, saw the administration of nearly 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and 1.56 million influenza vaccine doses. According to Dix, British Columbia has experienced a higher uptake in COVID-19 vaccinations compared to other Canadian provinces, such as Ontario, which he attributes to the lower transmission rates during the respiratory illness season.
Despite the end of the peak respiratory illness season and the continued but reduced spread of COVID-19 in the community, the Health Ministry emphasizes the importance of booster shots. Vaccines’ protective effects wane over time, particularly for older individuals, and a spring booster is intended to reinforce protection against the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant. Approximately 3.9 million people in B.C. have not yet received a booster shot against this variant.
Vaccinations will be available at pharmacies, regional health authority clinics, primary care offices, and community health centers. The move to offer spring boosters is a proactive measure to ensure continued protection against COVID-19, especially for those most at risk.
However, not all responses to the policy changes have been positive. Andrew Longhurst, a health policy researcher at Simon Fraser University, criticized the lifting of the mask mandate in health-care settings. He argues that maintaining mask use is a simple measure that can protect the health-care system and its workers. Longhurst also points out that the lower uptake of booster vaccines during the recent respiratory illness season may be due to authorities underplaying the risks of COVID-19. He calls for transparency regarding the potential long-term effects of the disease to encourage public compliance with vaccination efforts.