Today, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry addressed questions regarding a new highly contagious strain of coronavirus in southern England.
While health officials are closely monitoring the situation overseas, Henry said that there have been no cases of the new strain in B.C. or Canada to date. However, she added that the province is in the initial stage of its vaccination program, which means that a high percentage of the population is still at risk for contracting the virus.
"There's not anything that would be worrisome about the vaccine being effective with the mutations that we're seeing so far," B.C.'s top doctor stated in the daily COVID-19 briefing Monday afternoon.
"But it is obviously something we want to watch very carefully."
While Henry said the vaccine will be effective against the mutated strain, she underscored that people must continue to follow the provincial COVID-19 guidelines in the meantime.
"If there's a virus that's spreading more easily--that gets introduced here in B.C.--at this point, that concerns me," she cautioned, referencing the early stage of the vaccination program. "Something that spreads more easily will cause more illness and will therefore lead to some people ending up in hospital."
The COVID-19 vaccine will be free for everyone in British Columbia who is eligible to receive it.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, spaced at least three weeks apart.
U.K. travel suspension and new mutated COVID-19 strain
The federal government said late Sunday that passenger flights from the U.K. into Canada would be suspended for 72 hours in an attempt to keep out a new strain of COVID-19 discovered by British health officials.
Canada, India, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden were among the countries that suspended flights from Britain for various lengths of time.
Henry said this decision will allow health officials to "get a better handle of where this might have been and what measures we need to take to ensure that it doesn't get introduced and spread widely here in Canada."
While the early science suggests the new variant is more transmissible than other strains, Health Canada said there's nothing at this point suggesting the mutations have any effect on symptom severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy. It added that there have been no recorded cases of the new strain in Canada.
Even though some people will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine soon, it is still very important to follow public health orders, wash your hands, physical distance, wear a mask and stay home when sick. These layers of protection are still essential for all people in B.C.
--With files from the Canadian press.
