Amid rising COVID-19 case counts, health officials are urging British Columbians to get vaccinated.
The province said Thursday that 81.7 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 68.4 per cent have received their second dose.
Some parts of B.C. are well ahead of the 80-per-cent mark while others lag.
Some of the towns with the lowest first-dose vaccination rates include:
- Dawson Creek — 55.7 per cent
- Creston — 63.2 per cent
- Quesnel — 63 per cent
- North Chilliwack — 67.2 per cent
- Cowichan Valley – 71.9 per cent
On the flip side, these are some of the communities with the highest number of residents who have received first doses:
- Whistler — 99.6 per cent
- Oak Bay — 92.1 per cent
- Sidney — 91.5 per cent
- Gordon Head — 90.9 per cent
Four of B.C.’s Southern Gulf Islands — Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna — have a combined vaccination rate of 90.8 per cent, but nearby Salt Spring Island has a vaccination rate in the mid-70s.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday that B.C.’s most recent COVID-19 surge has been fuelled by those between the ages of 20 and 40 who are unvaccinated or have only had one dose.
The latest case count reached 402 on Thursday, a figure not seen since May, but Henry said clusters of infections were expected, adding that 95 per cent of those who are infected either haven’t been vaccinated or have only had one shot.
— With files from The Canadian Press