Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

COVID-19 UPDATE

IH warns against complacency as vaccination rates increase

Jun 2, 2021 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s immunization roll out is reaching important milestones this week, with about 70 per cent of eligible adults in the province with a first dose.

Following a similar order as the first dose delivery, second dose appointments are now starting to pick-up. However, virus transmission is still happening, and Interior Health (IH) Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton said COVID-19 precautions need to be followed.

“Most of our exposures are happening in the community, but we are seeing workplace exposures so we’re wondering if people are becoming complacent with those layers of protection between themselves and their colleagues,” Dr. Fenton explained, “So just a reminder to everyone that those WorkSafe measures need to be in place.”

In Kamloops, Dr. Fenton says 69,084 first doses have been administered with 5,319 second doses, for a total of 74,403 vaccines thus far.

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Now that health officials with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) have said first and second doses do not have to be from the same brand, it is anticipated the vaccine roll out will benefit as it will be easier to coordinate supplies.

Dr. Fenton says with any other vaccine, brands don’t matter as long as the vaccines have the right antigen, and they all have the same spike protein information.

“The MRNA provides the body that recipe to make its own spike protein and the viral vector vaccine delivers that information with an older technology, but all of the vaccines we have available to us equips your body with exposure to that spike protein, so any COVID vaccine is a good vaccine to get protection from COVID-19.”

To register to book a vaccination appointment, click here.