B.C.’s young people, aged 12 to 17, may start registering to receive their COVID-19 vaccine as the province moves ahead with its vaccination campaign.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said many young British Columbians have already gotten on board.
“Appointments are being booked for about 310,000 youth, aged 12 to 17,” said Henry. “Currently, it is only the Pfizer vaccine that’s licensed for use in children.”
Henry added that the Moderna vaccine is expected to be approved for youth down to age 12 in the future.
The Province’s youngsters can get registered the same way adults have been doing it:
- online at: https://gov.bc.ca/
getvaccinated - by telephone at 1-833-838-2323
- in person at any Service BC centre
B.C. said parents, guardians and trusted adults are able to register and book for young people. Most vaccine appointments for youth will take place at the same clinics used to immunize people of other age groups.
Household and group vaccination appointments are also available to make it easy for families to be immunized at the same time. Young people accompanying an adult to their vaccine appointment can register on-site with no booking or registration.
“It’s an exciting step for all of us. We know that youth are excited, not only because they know it’s important to protect themselves, but because it’s important to protect their families and their loved ones,” said Henry. “I hear from youth that they want to get their lives back, so we can get to that new future where we can socialize again and spend time together with those that we love.”
Henry also touted the effectiveness of B.C.’s vaccination campaign so far.
“After three to four weeks, or 21 to 28 days, a person’s risk of transmitting COVID has been reduced by 70%. This means that we prevent over two of three new infections,” explained Henry. “It tells us that our vaccines work, but it also reminds us that it takes time for these vaccines to do what they need to do.”
Registering for a vaccine appointment requires the following:
- personal health number (found on your CareCard, driver’s licence or BC Services Card)
- postal code
- first and last name
- date of birth
- Contact information, such as an email address that gets checked regularly or a phone number that can receive text messages.
Those without a personal health number can register over the phone by calling 1-833-838-2323.
