Those next in line to get a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. have now been given a timeline
First doses are being given to those living and working in independent living centres and seniors' supportive housing. For those individuals, health authorities will contact them directly for appointment details.
Then, starting on March 8, registration for seniors aged 80 and older and Indigenous peoples aged 65 and older will begin, with appointments starting as early as March 15.
Registration dates for those individuals Phase 2 are:
How do I register for an appointment?
Starting on the day listed above for those eligible, individuals will be able to call a regional health centre to book an appointment. Call centres are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
The call centre numbers are:
Those living in the Fraser Health region can also book an appointment online at: Fraserhealth.ca/vaccinebookinginfo
When calling, the centre will ask for the person's legal name, date of birth, postal code, personal health number and current contact information.
Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.'s immunization plan, says if the call centre's queue is especially long when someone calls in, they might receive a message asking to call back.
Family members or care givers will also be able to make booking on people's behalf, as long as they have the required information.
While seniors were relieved to finally have details on booking vaccine appointments, some expressed concerns that the province's phone system could get overloaded and crash – a problem that officials acknowledge has happened elsewhere and could be repeated in B.C.
"We know that these are things that happen. Every jurisdiction we've talked to has experienced these issues in the early days of opening up to the broad public," said Ballem. "If a call centre goes down, we will put it right back up on its feet as quickly as possibly."
Who comes next?
Health officials say Phase 3 of mass vaccination, which includes people aged 79 to 60 years and people aged 16 and older who are extremely clinically vulnerable, will begin in mid-April.
During that phase, British Columbians will register and book their appointments for both first and second doses through an online registration platform.
People born between 1942 and 1946 (aged 79 and 75) and Indigenous people born between the years 1956 and 1960 (aged 64 to 60) will be able to register for an appointment online or by phone by March 31.
Initial estimates from the province suggested everyone aged 18 and older in B.C. would be fully vaccinated by the end of September. However, health officials said that timeline is shifting, given the acquisition of a third vaccine and a just-extended timeframe between when the first and second dose are given.
With those changes, the health officials suggested everyone who wants the first shot will be able to get their first dose by mid- to late July. Henry explained the province would then shift its focus to second doses in July, and that all the timeframes will need a bit of "rejigging."
--with files from CTV News--