At noon today, seniors who are 78 this year and older and Indigenous people age 55 and older are eligible to call and book appointments for their COVID-19 vaccination.
Today those born in 1943 or earlier Indigenous born in 1966 or earlier can register for their vaccinations as the province continues to ramp up the efficiency of its health authority call centres after a faltering start in the first few days of the campaign that saw phone lines jammed and calls dropped.
The number to call in Island Health is: 1-833-348-4787, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
You will be asked for your legal first and last name, date of birth, postal code, personal health number also known as your care card number, and a phone number at which you or your support person can be reached immediately).
The call centre schedule to book a COVID-19 vaccination for the rest of the week:
• Those born in or before 1944 (77 and older) can start calling Tuesday at noon.
• Those born in or before 1945 (76 and older) can start calling Thursday at noon.
• Those born in or before 1946 (75 and older) can start calling Saturday at noon.
The province plans to shift from regional call centres to a provincial booking system, offering phone and online options, on April 6.
The age-based clinics are using Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine — almost one million doses of which the province expects to receive by mid-April — is being used to target outbreaks in small communities and workplaces.
It will also be used on front-line workers who cannot work from home — including first responders, grocery store workers, teachers and child care workers, postal workers, and correctional facilities staff. These groups will be contacted and won’t be required to call to book appointments.
Workers in food processing plants, agricultural workplaces and industrial camps will also have priority for early vaccination.
Everyone who wants to be vaccinated is expected to have had access to a first dose by July 1.
B.C. reported 737 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 90,786.
There are 242 active cases on the Island, including nine in hospital, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. The majority of cases are in the central region.
On Friday there had been a total of 28 deaths related to COVID-19 in Island Health and 1,421 in B.C.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
