3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose to be offered to long-term care residents, B.C. health officials announce
Residents in long-term care settings and assisted living will be offered a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. starting next week.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry gave the update in a live briefing alongside Health Minister Adrian Dix Tuesday. Henry explained older residents may not develop as strong of an immune response as other age groups.
"We do know that people we prioritize first to receive vaccine are our elders and seniors in long-term care and assisted living and we know that older people have a less strong immune responses to most vaccines and though these ones are really good, we do know that it may not be as high as others," she said.
Henry also said that transmission in "congregate settings," like care homes, is a concern.
"Even when we have most of the residents fully immunized, if this virus is introduced into those settings, there is a significant number of people who will have break-through infections and this in an elderly population can be lethal," she said.
To help mitigate that risk, residents will be offered a third COVID-19 vaccine dose, about six months after their second dose. For many residents, that means they will be offered a booster shot as early as next week. The doses will be offered alongside seasonal flu shots.
"We know that our seniors and elders have carried a heavy burden and we continue to see cases in these homes," Henry said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.