The B.C. government has announced it’s shifting its vaccine rollout plan and is allocating more AstraZeneca vaccines to “high-transmission communities.”
According to the B.C. government, 13 communities will be receiving doses of AstraZeneca for community clinics starting this week (April 19 to 23):
- Dawson Creek
- East and West Newton
- Fleetwood
- Kensington
- North Delta
- North Surrey
- Panorama
- Port Coquitlam
- South Langley Township
- Squamish
- West Abbotsford
- Whalley
And according to a local pharmacist, that means no new allotments of AstraZeneca vaccines will be making their way to pharmacies in the Okanagan.
“Community pharmacies (in the Okanagan) will probably not see any new vaccine shipments in the near future,” said Chris Waller, Lakeside Medicine Centre’s owner and pharmacist.
Waller, who is also on the board of directors for the B.C. Pharmacy Association, said he supports the government’s decision to allocate more AstraZeneca vaccines to what the B.C. government is calling “high-transmission communities.”
“Most of B.C.’s population lies in the Lower Mainland, and makes sense to vaccinate areas that are more densely crowded and where we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 infections,” said Waller.
Waller said he is unsure when the Okanagan will be receiving more AstraZeneca vaccines.