Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming to B.C. as health care vaccination rates jump

Posted November 9, 2021 3:30 pm.

B.C. is finally getting doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, with limited supply expected early next week.

On Tuesday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the supply will be first prioritized to health-care workers affected by the Public Health Order, which calls for all staff who work in acute and community care to be vaccinated.

Those who refuse to get vaccinated have been placed on leave without pay.

“Our health-care teams are working to connect with people who are affected by the worker right now,” Henry said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says there has been a significant increase in the number of vaccinated health-care workers.

Since last week’s update, 1,548 vaccinated staff have been brought into the system, leaving only two per cent of workers unvaccinated..

According to Henry, thousands have reached out to her in hopes of receiving a dose of Johnson & Johnson, so she’s grateful it is coming to the province.

“Their vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. So it’s the same class or type of vaccine as the AstraZeneca … but the trials were done as a single-dose vaccine. So it’s been widely used in the U.S. as a single-dose vaccine. And it has good, strong protection, about the same as the two doses of AstraZeneca over time,” she explained.

“Having said that, in the U.S., Johnson & Johnson has just got approval for a second dose as a booster dose. And it is recommended by the U.S. CDC that people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine do get a second dose of booster dose after six months. But will it’s not yet applied for that here in Canada.”

For those that would like the J&J dose, a central call number will be set up and Henry says details will be provided next week.

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