Considered at especially high-risk for COVID-19 transmission, North Delta has been included in the provincial government’s ramped-up vaccine roll-out plan targeting certain neighbourhoods.
Fraser Health on Tuesday announced that as part of the province’s strategy to provide the AstraZeneca vaccine to people in higher-risk neighbourhoods, the health region is now immunizing people ages 40 and over in those specific areas where there’s higher rates of transmission, including North Delta, South Langley Township, Port Coquitlam, West Abbotsford and the Surrey neighbourhoods of West Newton, East Newton, Whalley, Panorama, North Surrey and Fleetwood.
Eligible people who live in those neighborhoods can now register at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/neighbourhood and will be immediately contacted to book their vaccine, Fraser Health explains.
“Priority immunization for people in high-risk neighbourhoods is one part of our strategy to manage COVID-19 transmission in our region. We are continuing with immunizing priority groups and locations where we are seeing outbreaks and clusters. By providing vaccine to these specific neighbourhoods, we can protect more people and help prevent COVID-19 transmission in our communities,” the FHA stated in a news release.
All vaccines that are approved in Canada and available in British Columbia are safe and effective, and will help protect people against COVID-19, the FHA adds.
The health region also confirmed that as it continues to manage high-risk and high-priority COVID-19 areas, as well as continue to immunize all school staff, the FHA is starting with schools in communities that are experiencing the highest transmission.
That means FHA is now also offering immunizations to eligible school-based staff in the Delta School District as well as the Coquitlam School District.
In a statement yesterday, Delta Teachers Association president Susan Yao noted those teaching in North Delta will be getting a shot first.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix on Monday also announced that in addition to B.C.’s age-based and worker programs, the province is expanding vaccinations for people aged 40 and up who are now also eligible to receive their AstraZeneca vaccine at their local pharmacy.
The government says it’s doing this after a careful review of the evidence that initially led to a pause in the expanded AstraZeneca vaccine program for younger workers.
