B.C. health officials sharing details on possible 2nd booster shots next week

The B.C. government will be addressing plans for providing second booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine to certain populations next week.

The B.C. government will be addressing plans for providing second booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine to certain populations next week.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said the fourth doses are part of the province's strategy for mitigating the impact of possible sixth wave of COVID-19 cases, as boosted vaccine protection has been credited with reducing hospitalizations and other severe outcomes.

It's unclear who will be eligible for the boosters, but Dix indicated Thursday that people in "clinically vulnerable categories, such as those in long-term care" would be first in line.

"You'll be hearing more about that next Tuesday," the minister said.

Some jurisdictions, including Ontario, are already grappling with another significant surge in COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.2.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is expected to release guidance on fourth doses in the coming days, according to a spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada.

"NACI has been asked for advice on the potential use of second booster doses in elderly populations at higher risk of severe disease. PHAC is expected to publish NACI advice on this in early April," Anna Maddison said in an email.