Interior Health is offering new vaccination options as it again expands its immunization campaign against meningococcal disease.
The health authority declared an outbreak and began widespread vaccinations of 15 to 19 year olds and students in grades nine to 12 across the Okanagan earlier this month.
Drop-in immunization clinics will continue over the holidays and the vaccine will now also be available for older teens at some Shoppers Drug Mart locations.
A list of locations is available on Interior Health’s website.
The health authority says ideally all Okanagan teens in the target age group would get vaccinated.
“Realistically, in other types of situations like this where a large immunization has been rolling out for this age group we see between 65 and 85 per cent uptakes. So we are really hopeful that we are going to get at that or above that,” Goodison said.
The health authority is targeting older teens because that group is considered to be at highest risk.
When it declared an outbreak on Dec. 14, the health authority said it had recorded 11 cases of meningococcal disease in the region this year.
No new cases have been reported since then.
The health authority is reminding people to avoid sharing drinks and utensils during the holiday season to prevent the spread of the disease.
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