Few people in B.C. actually medically exempt from COVID-19 vaccine

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – B.C. doctors are debunking concerns that the province’s vaccination card will leave many people out.

Despite loud opposition from anti-vaxxers, according to experts, it appears very few British Columbians are actually medically exempt from getting a shot.

The plan for a vaccine passport system has been criticized by many since it was first announced last week. Impending proof of vaccination has also led to a lot of concerns about enforcement, as well as how it will affect the people with a valid reason for not getting vaccinated.

However, the vast majority of British Columbians 12 years and older have already vaccinated. The latest statistics show 84.2 per cent of people in that age group have had at least one dose, while 76.4 per cent of people 12 and up are fully vaccinated.
If daily increases stay on pace, B.C. will have 90 per cent with one dose and 86 per cent with two doses by Oct. 24.

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There are very few people who truly can not be vaccinated, according to experts.

“As of August 27th, across Canada, the risk of having a serious adverse reaction is .005 per cent. And, in fact, in Canada, there have only been 160-something documented cases of anaphylaxis following the administration of the COVID vaccine,” explained Dr. Navdeep Grewal, an ER doctor and the founder of the This is Our Shot campaign.

While many have experienced some side effects of the shot, experts say there are ways to mitigate any severe adverse reactions in the average person.

“A lot of the allergists are saying that they have protocols to deal with it, and they can load them up with steroids or load them up with medications, and we can vaccinate people who’ve had an allergic reaction,” said Dr. Anna Wolak, an general practitioner and volunteer with This is Our Shot.

It’s just handful of people with a very specific PEG allergy to mRNA vaccines who are being asked to hold off on getting a shot for now, not forever.

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“Out of all the people that are thinking that there’s multiple contraindications — ‘I’ve had a transplant, or I’m immunocompromised, or I’m undergoing cancer treatment, or the doctor on the internet told me I shouldn’t because of this’ — that’s not true. Those are the only contraindication to getting your vaccine,” Grewal said of the specific allergies.

According to her calculations, that’s just a couple hundred people in B.C. who truly won’t be able to do things like go to a concert, out for dinner, or to their local gym when a vaccine pass is required.

But for most, the impending vaccine passport is lighting a fire under those who had chosen to not be vaccinated, until now.

“Yeah, I’ll get the second dose eventually,’ ‘Yeah I can’t be bothered,’ ‘Yeah I’ll get it.’ ‘I don’t want to go downtown. parking’s hard. And all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘okay, I better get my act together and we saw that within 24 hours,” said Wolak.

Vaccination bookings spiked the day of and after B.C. announced its COVID-19 vaccine passport plan.

About a million people who can get shots haven’t — five per cent are estimated to be hard-core anti-vaxxers who never will. That leaves nine to 10 per cent of people with challenges, including fear, as well as just finding the time to get one — something pop-up clinics are trying to address.

Details about how get a vaccine card are coming next week, ahead of the Sept. 13 start date, when one dose is needed. As of Oct. 24, locations requiring vaccine passports will only accept fully vaccinated individuals.

“It’s for a temporary short period of time so that everybody can do their part in getting us over this pandemic more quickly. Short-term pain for long-term gain,” said Grewal.