New Westminster is still ahead of the B.C. curve when it comes to COVID booster shots – but vaccination rates have effectively stalled out across the board.
As of March 22, 64% of adults (18+) in New Westminster had received their third dose of vaccine against COVID-19, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. That's higher than the B.C. number, which stood at 59% as of March 25.
But it still represents very little change from two weeks ago, when third-dose vaccinations stood at 63%.
And it's representative of a broader trend in New Westminster, in that all vaccinations, across all age groups, are showing little – if any – movement over the past couple of weeks.
First-dose and second-dose vaccination rates have remained stable at greater than 90% across all age groups, with some minor movement on second doses for 12-to-17-year-olds (91% to 92%), 18-to-49-year-olds (96% to 97%) and 50+ adults (91% to 92%) since March 8.
Third-dose rates have shown slight increases for 12-to-17-year-olds, from 42% to 45%, with smaller increases for the 18-49 and 50+ adults.
Vaccination rates are also climbing very slowly for the youngest eligible residents; the 5-11 group has reached just 45% for second doses, up from 39% two weeks ago.
How to get your COVID-19 shot in New Westminster
For New Westminster residents, the closest clinics currently offering immunization appointments are the Burnaby testing and immunization centre at BCIT, the Coquitlam clinic at the Coquitlam Central station park-and-ride, and the Surrey North clinic next to Central City mall. You can check out a full list of clinic locations and hours at the Fraser Health website.
First, second and third doses can also be obtained at participating community pharmacies; you can find options near you when scheduling an appointment in the B.C. booking system. To find out all the details about how to register for vaccination, visit the B.C. government's Get Vaccinated website.
What are vaccination rates like in New Westminster?
Here's how vaccination rates look across the board (numbers as of March 8 in brackets):
First dose:
5-11: 67% (67%)
5+: 94% (94%)
12-17: 95% (95%)
18+: 96% (96%)
18-49: 98% (98%)
50+: 93% (93%)
70+: 94% (94%)
Second dose:
5-11: 45% (39%)
5+: 91% (91%)
12-17: 92% (91%)
18+: 94% (94%)
18-49: 97% (96%)
50+: 92% (91%)
70+: 92% (92%)
Third dose:
12-17: 45% (42%)
5+: 59% (58%)
18+: 64% (63%)
18-49: 56% (55%)
50+: 74% (73%)
70+: 81% (81%)
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
