COVID fourth doses not coming for everyone in B.C., third doses ‘good enough’: Dr. Henry

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says most people won’t be rolling up their sleeves anytime soon to receive a fourth shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, as immunity appears to be strong.

“What we want to do for most people who still have really strong protection from their third dose…that protection is good enough to get us through Omicron and very, very highly protective still for people staying out of hospital and preventing severe illness,” Henry said Tuesday.

Quebec has begun offering a second booster, or a fourth dose, to residents over 18 years old. However, B.C. will not be following suit.

“We’ve also seen that there really is very good protection from three doses for most people, really up to age 80, but definitely up to age 70. And we see a little bit of an increase in hospitalizations over age 70 in people who’ve had three doses, and it bumps up again over the age 80. Those are the people who got immunized first so their immunity is going down more quickly, and as we get older our immune system fades away more quickly,” she said.

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She says the province looks at hospitalization data and breakthrough cases, and says people who have compromised immune systems, such as solid organ transplant recipients, need that extra boost.

“We look at our hospitalization data, so who is … vaccinated with three doses that is ending up having more severe illness? And that is people with severe clinically immune compromising conditions,” she said. “That’s where we are targeting this fourth dose.”

When asked why pregnant people were also not being prioritized for a fourth dose, Henry says they have not seen a breakthrough in immunity in pregnant people who have received three shots.

Invites coming to those 70+

Health Minister Adrian Dix says many British Columbians have already received their fourth dose, which is recommended six months from the last shot. However, the response has not been overwhelming.

Dix says uptake has been strong in those with immunocompromised conditions, but slightly lower in long-term care than it was for the third doses.

He says those over 70 should be receiving an invitation to book, as well as Indigenous people over the age of 55, as long as it has been six months since their first booster.  Booster doses will be either Moderna or Pfizer, however, Dix says the non-mRNA vaccine Novavax Nuvaxovid is also available. In order to receive it, you need to be put on the waiting list by calling 1-833-838-2323.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends a second booster for high-risk groups, such as residents of long-term care, as well as those over 80 years old and Indigenous people.

“A second booster dose among adults younger than 70 years of age in or from First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities may be considered as these communities have a younger age distribution but increased risk for severe disease due to a variety of intersecting factors including underlying medical conditions and potential decreased access to health care,” NACI wrote in a report released in April. 

Shots for youngest British Columbians coming

Meanwhile, when it comes to first doses for the only group currently ineligible for the vaccine, Henry says she’s hopeful now that Moderna has put in the data to Health Canada for vaccines for children between six months and five years old.

She is hopeful approval could be coming as early as late summer.

“It’s good to know that’s coming,” she said, adding that the Pfizer version formulation was not giving a strong immune response. That company is not yet submitting data for consideration.

With files from Denise Wong and Liza Yuzda