British Columbians with AstraZeneca shots to be invited for boosters at 6 month mark

People in B.C. who received two doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine could soon get their booster shots sooner than expected, the province’s top doctor said Monday.

This expands who will be receiving additional shots early. Currently, seniors and people identified as being at higher risk are receiving the extra shot.

“We know that for the most part, we started already with long-term care, with seniors in our community, with people who have compromised immune systems, and the data has also shown as we present it that individuals who received two doses of AstraZeneca have had waning of protection from infection,” Dr. Bonnie Henry explained Monday. “Thankfully, they still have very strong, good protection for serious illness, but lower protection against infection.”

Most boosters coming in 2022 so Canada can continue to help the booster response. But also planning to protect ppl here who need it. DBH also says moderna may end up bring 1/2 dose for booster – have made an application.#bcpoli #covid19 @CityNewsVAN

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) November 1, 2021

As a result, people who fall under this category will begin receiving invitations for booster shots six months after their second dose.

“This may be sooner than other healthy adults in the community where we know there’s very good, strong protection that’s lasting well,” Henry said.

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The provincial health officer confirms booster shots will be mRNA vaccines, adding that combination with viral vector vaccines “has been shown to be very effective and long lasting.”

Henry says the booster program was put together based on real-life data from across Canada and the world. She notes data shows most people in B.C. have “good, strong protection from any combination of vaccines that they’ve received.”

“And that protection is lasting out to seven, eight months. So the vast majority of people are not eligible right now for a booster dose, but we want them to be prepared for the fact that it is looking more and more like a booster dose at some point … is something that’s going to give us longer-lasting, durable protection,” Henry explained.

This comes after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) announced on Friday it was adding people who had received two doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, as well as those who got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson, to its list of individuals who should get boosters.

B.C. was the first province to announce boosters for all people 12 years and older, with those shots were expected to be available starting in mid-January.