Tired of waiting, B.C. man heads south for COVID booster

As we fast approach fall, cold, and flu season, one man from Burnaby says he can’t wait much longer to get his updated COVID-19 booster.

Greg, who doesn’t want his last name published, says he plans to drive across the Canada-U.S. border and get the shot while getting his groceries at the Costco in Bellingham.

The 58-year-old asthmatic admits he’s frustrated it’s taking the provincial and federal levels of government so long to act.

“My colleagues in the United States, for the bivalent booster, were having it done by the beginning of October,” he explained.

This won’t be the first time Greg drives south for his shot. He also did this for his last booster.

He says he booked an appointment online, didn’t have to wait in a line-up, and it cost $20 USD.

“Just to avoid months of delay, I’m going to get it done, get it over with and get on with my life. You’re doing your shopping anyway. It’s 15 minutes out of your day and it’s done and you’re not waiting for a government official in British Columbia to release the vaccine to the population,” he told CityNews.

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Greg is also criticizing how B.C. rolls out vaccines, adding it doesn’t make sense to make people wait based on their age.

“For the bivalent vaccine, it was made available by the federal government … it was in the pipeline for six weeks before B.C. released it [for my age group],” he said.

The Burnaby man isn’t alone. He says he has other friends who are doing the same thing, though suggests people do their research before they get in their cars and drive to the U.S. for the shot.

“A lot of the larger U.S.-chain pharmacies work the same as Costco, but the nice thing about Costco is if you’re going to the pharmacy, you don’t need a Costco membership. You just say at the door, ‘I’m going to the pharmacy.’
They offer a QR code when you’re done, which is with the Washington State Health Care Authority, and then I just submitted that to MSP so my vaccine record in British Columbia is up to date,” he explained.

Given the ease he’s faced, Greg admits he’s considering heading to the States for other vaccines, too.

“If they offered a discount on the shingles vaccine, I’ll definitely head there for it, as well.”

The shingles vaccine in B.C. is given in a series of two doses, two to six months apart. It costs about $160 per dose.

Federal response

On Tuesday, the federal government announced it had approved an updated Moderna COVID-19 booster for those aged six months and up.

Canada’s first case of the new variant of the virus was discovered in B.C. a few weeks ago, making the country one of 11 where BA.2.86 has been detected.

COVID cases overall have been on the rise for weeks across North America.

In a previously issued statement, Health Canada tells CityNews a vaccine campaign is getting underway this month.

“Health Canada is actively reviewing submissions from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna seeking authorization of their respective COVID-19 vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant, for persons 6 months of age and older. These submissions are being reviewed on a priority basis by a dedicated scientific team,” the statement, issued before the approval of the Moderna Booster, reads.

“Should the updated vaccine formulations receive authorization from Health Canada, NACI recommends a dose of the new formulations beginning this fall for individuals in the authorized age groups if it has been at least 6 months since their previous COVID-19 vaccine dose.”

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The federal agency says although the newer shots are expected to offer better protection, the vaccines currently available do the same job, for the most part.

“For individuals at high risk of severe disease, especially those who are unable to practice other personal protective measures, a booster of the existing authorized COVID-19 vaccines may be beneficial if it has been more than 6 months since the last dose or infection. If individuals are currently eligible for an additional dose of the vaccine and are unsure whether to wait for an updated vaccine formulation, they should consult with a healthcare provider,” Health Canada said.

The federal health minister’s office says it won’t speculate on procurement or distribution of the vaccines until they’re given the green light.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new shots from Pfizer and Moderna on Monday, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to give its approval, which could happen soon — meaning shots could be available south of the line as early as this week.

-With files from Jamie Pulfer and Lucas Casaletto