For the first time since Monday, the B.C. government has updated the age-based vaccination registration for the general public.
All people born in 1949 or earlier (72+) across the province can now book their COVID-19 appointments with their local health authorities.
The province has been focusing this week on registering clinically vulnerable British Columbians for their vaccine and Indigenous British Columbians 18 years of age and older.
“We have added 150,000 people who have received letters who are clinically extremely vulnerable,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said.
“Every age cohort you move on to is larger than the last one. There are more 72-year-olds than there are 73 years old. And we added people with medical conditions like cancer and think everyone will agree that was the right approach.”
Those eligible for the aged-based program, including the clinically vulnerable, will be vaccinated with the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
Read more:
B.C. COVID-19 vaccination information: Contacts, timelines and what you need to know
Starting today (at noon) all people born in 1949 or earlier (72+) can book their appointments with their local health authorities.
For more information about the #COVID19 vaccines, our plan and how to book your appointment, visit: https://t.co/eBMxlZFkUM pic.twitter.com/d6PMdqsFed— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) April 1, 2021
There has been recent frustration from those aged 65 to 72 because they haven’t received access to registering for the vaccine. Many raised concerns Metro Vancouver residents from 55 to 64 were now eligible to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The reason we didn’t say 65 to 70 get AstraZeneca because those groups will have access very soon to Moderna and Pfizer and we would thought it would be an inconsistent take-up,” Dix said.
The appointments can be booked over the phone. The province will be launching a province-wide online booking system on April 6.