B.C. seniors aged 85 and over will be able to book an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccine starting Thursday afternoon.
Adrian Dix, the province’s minister of health, announced Wednesday that the government is expediting its age-based vaccination booking schedule by an entire week.
Starting Thursday at noon, those 85 and older will be allowed to book appointments.
“This is good news. It shows while our system had a bad day on Monday it has responded and resources have been applied,” said Dix. “We’re ready, determined, and able starting at noon tomorrow to accept the next group of people.”
Other age groups will also be bumped up a week.
Health authorities across B.C. began booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments on Monday for those 90 and older as well as Indigenous individuals 65 and above. Originally, the province was planning to allow those 85 and above to begin booking on March 15.
Island Health is planning to administer first doses of vaccine to 44,000 people — seniors over 80 and Indigenous people over 65 — by April 12 at 19 clinics across Vancouver Island.
BREAKING—Call centres have been able to process vaccination appointment bookings for seniors aged 90+ days ahead of schedule. Starting March 11 at 12PM, seniors aged 85+ and Indigenous peoples aged 65+ can call and book an appointment. Please only call if it’s your turn! #CovidBC
— BC Government News (@BCGovNews) March 11, 2021
Dix says BC has booked 37,661 appointments as of today. That’s out of 50,000 eliglble this week. Many have already been vaccinted. So, BC is opening it up to next age-based cohort.
— Rob Shaw (@RobShaw_BC) March 11, 2021
Rob Shaw
