British Columbia health officials say about 70 per cent of eligible adults in the province have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Officials say in a news release that they will be following the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidelines on mixing and matching vaccines.
According to a recommendation from NACI, it suggests those who got a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can now receive either the same one, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for their second shot.
“Public health welcomes the announcement from NACI on the mix and matching COVID-19 vaccine doses. We know that a second dose is necessary to maximize protection for ourselves and our community,” reads a statement sent from the BC government to CHEK News.
“On Thursday, Dr. Henry will be providing more details on British Columbia’s approach to second doses for those who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine. As always, our approach will be guided by science and the advice of NACI and our BC Immunization Committee. This update will provide people with the information they need to make an informed decision on what second dose would be best for them, along with information on logistics and timing.”
The province reported a new low for daily COVID-19 infection rates this year at 184 cases for a total of 144,473 infections since the pandemic started.
There have been no new deaths, and so far, 1,703 COVID-19-related fatalities have been recorded in the province.
With files to the Canadian Press
Graham Cox
