COVID-19 Immunization Plan

On this page:

• Get vaccinated
• Vaccines in Canada
• Immunization phases
• Proof of immunization
• Community immunity

Get vaccinated

All COVID-19 vaccines in Canada are effective and safe. The best vaccine is the one available to you first. Provincial Health Officer (PHO) orders and guidelines remain in place for everyone, even if they have received the vaccine.

Register with the Get Vaccinated system

Get vaccinated People born in 2003 or earlier (18+) are eligible to get dose 1.

Dose 2 is given about 16 weeks after the first dose. 

Vaccines in Canada

The COVID-19 vaccine is saving lives. Vaccines do more than protect the people getting vaccinated, they also protect everyone around them. The more people in a community who are immunized and protected from COVID-19, the harder it is for COVID-19 to spread.

The best source of COVID-19 vaccine information is the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control BCCDC.

Approved vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by Health Canada are safe, effective and will save lives. To date, four vaccines have been approved for use by Health Canada.

• Learn about the Pfizer vaccine
• Learn about the Moderna vaccine
• Learn about the AstraZeneca/SII COVISHIELD (AZ/SII) vaccine
• Learn about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Safety

Health Canada has conducted a rigorous scientific review of the available medical evidence to assess the safety of the approved COVID-19 vaccines. Feeling worried or unsure is completely normal when something is new.

• No major safety concerns have been identified in the data Health Canada reviewed
• We can be reassured that Health Canada has a thorough approval process that makes sure the vaccines and medicines we take are safe

Supply

Vaccine supply is distributed by the Government of Canada and B.C. receives an allocated number of doses of vaccine on a weekly basis. The allocated amount is expected to increase throughout 2021.

Immunization phases

Eligibility is based on the age you are turning in 2021. Once you become eligible, you are always eligible. For example:

• If you are in Phase 2, you can get the vaccine in Phase 3 or Phase 4
• If you are in Phase 3, you can get the vaccine in Phase 4

The phased approach is based on expert advice and guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), B.C.’s Immunization Committee and the public health leadership committee. NACI recommends certain populations receive prioritization for early COVID-19 vaccination.

B.C. is committed to an ethical approach to immunization phases. The COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed equitably and ethically to people in B.C. following national ethical frameworks and BCCDC’s COVID-19 Ethical Decision-Making Framework.

The timeline for each phase may change due to vaccine availability. The federal government is working to obtain as much vaccine as possible to distribute to provinces and territories.

• View vaccination progress on the BCCDC COVID-19 dashboard

Community-specific approach

Some small and remote communities are getting vaccinated using a community-specific approach that may be different from the provincial schedule. Find out if your community is included and the specific vaccination schedule, based on your health authority:

• Interior Health
• Island Health
• Northern Health

Distribution for front-line priority workers

Vaccine distribution for front-line priority workers is being scheduled directly by health authorities on a case-by-case basis, based on available supply. 

Program distribution status will be updated as information is available.

Pharmacy program

The AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine pharmacy program is paused. If you already have an appointment scheduled, it will not be cancelled. 

Youth aged 12 to 17

Health Canada has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for youth aged 12 to 17. and B.C. is expanding the COVID-19 Immunization Plan to include this age group. 

If you are 12 to 17, do not register for a vaccine at this time. Registration details will be updated as information is available. Youth registration is only available for:

• People 16+ who are clinically extremely vulnerable
• People 16+ who are pregnant

Proof of immunization

When you get vaccinated, you will have the option to receive a paper and digital copy of your immunization record card. We recommend registering for Health Gateway, where your digital immunization record card will be available only after you receive the vaccine.

Note: Health Gateway is not a source of vaccine or immunization information. 

Your immunization record will be also be stored in the online provincial database, accessible to you, public health and your doctor.

Example of a paper immunization record card:

Community immunity

Lifting restrictions

Lifting current restrictions will be based on many factors, including:

• Number of people immunized and level of community immunity
• Number of COVID-19 cases in the province
• Health care system capacity

Layers of protection

Going back to normal life will take time. Even if you have received the vaccine, you must follow provincial health orders and protect others by:

• Washing your hands
• Staying home when sick and getting tested
• Keeping a safe distance from others
• Wearing a mask in public indoor spaces