Would-be vacationers in B.C. with mixed vaccines worry about U.S. travel plans

WHITE ROCK (NEWS 1130) — After being told it’s okay to mix and match vaccine doses, a woman from White Rock is wishing now she didn’t.

That’s because B.C. is not yet offering a third shot to anyone with non-essential travel plans outside Canada.

Deborah Holmberg, who’s celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary a year later than expected, still hopes she and her husband can go to Maui in February.

“I’d do anything to just resolve the problem. Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and even Alberta are offering to resolve my issue and I would travel to Alberta — absolutely. I just seem to be wrong. It’s a B.C. responsibility. I’m a B.C. resident. I’m a senior, like, I did what I was told. I shouldn’t have to go to another province.”

Update: Spoke with a woman from #WhiteRock worried she may have to cancel her trip to #Maui in February because her 1st dose was @pfizer and 2nd dose was @moderna_tx.

Deborah Holmberg now regrets mixing and matching doses as advised to by health authorities.#bcpoli @NEWS1130 https://t.co/rfXeJig48w

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) September 29, 2021

She’s one of many British Columbians not considered fully vaccinated for travel to the United States because her first dose was Pfizer and her second was Moderna.

She received her last dose in July and is worried too much time will pass for her to be eligible to get a booster dose before she and her husband travel.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there’s no need for fully immunized people to get a third shot and she expects U.S. regulations to be updated soon, so anyone who followed up a dose of Pfizer with Moderna won’t encounter any problems.

“These things are changing. Sometimes day by day. We know that and we’re not systematically providing a third dose for people just because of their desire for international travel.”

She’s one of many Canadians not considered fully vaccinated to visit the #US and must decide by December if she should cancel her trip.

“I can still fly to Hawaii. I have to have a COVID test before I can get on the airplane, but I can’t go to restaurants.”

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) September 29, 2021

That message is frustrating for Holmberg who says she only has until December to decide if she should cancel her trip.

“I can still fly to Hawaii. I have to have a COVID test before I can get on the airplane, but I can’t go to restaurants unless I’m considered fully vaccinated by the U.S. It’s not straightforward. It’s actually quite a complicated issue I think. Different states may have different rules.”

RELATED: ‘They see you as unvaccinated’: B.C. man with mixed doses calling for third shot

Henry says the focus needs to be on getting most people fully immunized and vaccine efficacy research is being shared on a global scale.

“And leads to us having a more harmonized approach.”

During her latest briefing on Tuesday, Henry reported vaccine efficacy is strong, so there’s a chance most people will not immediately need a booster shot.

Even so, Holmberg regrets mixing and matching doses.

“I just don’t understand if they’ve got vaccine available, why they can’t resolve my problem. When I did talk to my doctor, he said, ‘I have no resources to refer you to’ and he said, ‘It’s a political problem … I really feel frustrated.”

Other provinces are letting travellers access booster shots, so she’s thinking about driving to Calgary to get a second dose of Moderna as she waits to see if current rules in the U-S change within the next couple of months.

Holmberg is also wondering why this is an issue if there’s no shortage of vaccine in B.C. and it could be several more weeks until children under age 11 are allowed to get immunized.