Record numbers of people in British Columbia have received updated vaccinations against COVID-19 and flu, as the province ramps up its immunization campaign for respiratory illness season.
The health ministry said invitations for priority populations started going out on Oct. 8, and on the first day of delivery on Oct. 15, B.C. pharmacies administered a total of almost 82,000 influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, announced the numbers at a news conference on Tuesday as recounts are pending to determine which party will win the provincial election.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has said if his party formed government he would fire Henry over COVID-19 mandates placed on the province during the pandemic.
Henry said her office is independent and she will continue to serve whichever government is in power until a decision is made.
“My role is to serve whatever government is in power, and I will do my best to do that. If the party decides that they would prefer somebody who is more aligned with them, then that is their prerogative to do that,” she said when asked about the possibility of losing her job.
“What is most important to me, and one of the things that I’m focusing on right now, is my role is to protect the health of everybody in British Columbia.”
Recounts are taking place starting this weekend in two ridings where the NDP holds a narrow lead, and about 49,000 absentee and mail-in ballots have yet to be counted.
On election night, the NDP were elected or leading in 46 seats, the Conservatives were elected or leading in 45, and the Greens had been elected in two.
A party requires 47 seats to hold a majority.
The health ministry said the previous daily vaccination record was set on Oct. 12, 2023 when a total of nearly 71,000 influenza and COVID-19 shots were given out.
It said this year’s campaign also set a record for its first week, administering 369,774 vaccines, beating the previous total from last year by 3,594 doses.
The ministry said that represents 141,522 COVID-19 shots and 228,252 influenza doses among priority populations.
The vaccines for both influenza and COVID-19 are updated, including new mRNA vaccines for the so-called KP. 2 COVID variant.
Henry said the province has seen “sporadic” cases so far this year of flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, going back to what would be considered “a more normal pattern” from before the pandemic.
“I expect that we’re going to start seeing influenza and RSV start to increase, probably late November, early into December, seeing the patterns that we’re seeing now,” she said.
“But COVID-19 remains elevated. It was elevated through the summer. It never did go back to what we would call a seasonal spread. We had a slight increase in the spring, and it levelled off a little bit in the summer, but we’re starting to see that increase again.”
She said virus levels in wastewater remain high at many sites and hospital admission rates are “elevated,” though they “levelled off a little bit in the last little while.”
“So, that tells us, again, that we still don’t know enough about the patterns that these viruses are going to have long-term in this province and in these countries. Again, it remains really important for us to have that increasing protection, particularly people who are more at risk of severe illness,” she said.
The health ministry says the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends people get the updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, or six months after their most recent COVID-19 vaccine or infection, whichever is later.
Henry said the COVID-19 virus still causes severe illness in people who are older or who have compromised immune systems or other illnesses.
She said the province is no longer in an emergency situation, largely because vaccines are protecting people.
“But we don’t know for certain the patterns that we’re going to see long term, whether it’s going to require a booster every year, or whether it might slow down the changes that we’re seeing in the virus and not need to have a booster for a longer period of time,” she said.
While there’s still some uncertainty around COVID-19, Henry said they know it’s going to be around for the long term.
“We need to be prepared for that. And thankfully, we have good vaccines that help protect people, particularly from the more severe illness.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press