B.C reaches vaccine milestone

May 12, 2021 | 3:50 PM Pete McIntyre

More than 50 per cent of all eligible people in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The works out to over 2.1 million residents.

With more than a million vaccine doses arriving this month, Premier John Horgan is calling for everyone to register to get a shot.

“We’ve made extraordinary progress together over the past few weeks toward everyone getting their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” Horgan said. “COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down, but this milestone gives us hope of better days ahead. We have to keep going. We need all British Columbians to help make sure as many people as possible get their shots. Register today and talk to your friends, family and neighbours and make sure they’re registered, too.”

Once people are registered, they will get an email or text notification when it is their turn to book an appointment.

Anyone not already registered should register now in one of three ways:

* 24/7, online: https://gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated

* through a provincial call centre between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Pacific time) at 1 (833) 838-2323, or

* in person at the nearest Service BC location.

B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is the largest and most complex immunization program in the province’s history, with more than 2,162,023 people in B.C. already having received a first dose of vaccine by May 12, 2021. More than 2.5 million people in B.C. have registered since the Get Vaccinated provincial registration and booking system was launched on April 6.

Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.’s immunization efforts, said regardless of whether you got your first dose through a pharmacy, your workplace, through a clinic of any kind, or by booking a first dose through a health authority call centre, people must now register through the Get Vaccinated system.

“Getting every person registered is vital to our immunization efforts in B.C. If you aren’t sure whether you have registered already or have been registered, register now to help public health get you your doses of vaccine,” Ballem said.