Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Amandalina Letterio

COVID-19

Lower COVID-19 vaccination rates for Kamloops North; Kamloops South ahead of B.C. average

Jul 22, 2021 | 3:51 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops North is behind the provincial average for COVID-19 vaccinations, but Kamloops South is ahead — and it could be part of the reason why the Interior has had the highest number of new cases in the province.

On Thursday (July 22), British Columbia reported 89 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday afternoon, and Interior Health accounts for 37 of those cases.

In recent days, it has become a common occurrence for IH to be leading the province’s new case count.

“One of the biggest reasons for that is we have lower vaccination rates compared to the BC average, and we have some communities with really low rates,” said Dr. Carol Fenton, medical health officer at Interior Health.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Cutting carbon emissions can be easy and accessible to Kamloops residents

Oct 30, 2024

Question of the Week

Do you have confidence in the vote-counting carried out by Elections BC?

Oct 28, 2024

Week in Review

Week in Review: Week of Oct. 21

Oct 26, 2024

Eighty-one per cent of people in Kamloops South have gotten at least their first dose, which is slightly above the B.C. average of 80 per cent. However, less than 74 per cent of Kamloops North residents are vaccinated.

Of the new cases at Interior Health, 96 per cent were found in unvaccinated people or those who were only single-vaccinated.

Dr. Fenton says, the best way to get those vaccination numbers up and keep the COVID case numbers down in the Interior is to encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated.

In 2021, that can be a touchy subject.

CFJC News spoke with a woman in downtown Kamloops on Thursday who firmly said she would not have a conversation with an unvaccinated person about getting vaccinated.

“It’s a personal choice and I keep my opinions to myself,” she said, adding that she thinks it’s a sensitive topic now a days.

However, other Kamloops residents felt it should be an open discussion.

“If it’s meant for the benefit of themselves and taking care of others — you know, you’re just being cautious right?” said one man.

Four per cent of the new cases were found in fully vaccinated people, but Dr. Fenton says the virus is likely not hitting them as hard as it would if they were unvaccinated.

“Even when the vaccine effectiveness was studied, prior to the emergence of the variance, it was 95 per cent effective. Which is very good — almost outstanding in the field of vaccines. But it’s never 100 per cent and with the emergence of variance, probably a little less than that. But still excellent protection against severe disease and hospitalization,” she said.

Vaccinated or not, Interior Health says to protect yourself from COVID-19, continue to practice personal hygine and if you want, wear a mask.