B.C. officials are set to reveal details next week about potential plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to adolescents.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Friday that the B.C. Immunization Committee is still discussing such plans and more information will be provided during a Feb. 1 COVID-19 briefing to be presented to the public.
This comes as the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) updated its guidance for adolescents Friday, recommending children at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 get booster doses within six months after receiving their second doses.
Those recommendations are for young people between the ages of 12 and 17 with underlying medical conditions, those in congregate living settings (shelters, group homes, correctional facilities) and those who belong to racialized and/or marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Adrian Dix revealed 55% of children five to 11 have either been vaccinated or booked for a vaccination.
Henry said the province has been relying on hospitals and webinars to encourage more vaccination among B.C.’s children. She added health officials are increasingly urging family doctors to get more involved with vaccinations for young children.
“We’ve seen that infection spreads rapidly amongst that highly connected younger age group,” she said.
