New Westminster's COVID vaccination rates have come to a near standstill in the face of the sixth wave of the pandemic.
Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, warned Canadians this week that the country is in the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant.
That news hasn't budged the needle on immunization rates in New West, however.
The latest numbers from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, as of April 10, show just small gains in vaccination rates over the week before.
First-dose rates for all age groups have largely stabilized, but there were incremental gains in the 12-to-17 age group and the 70+ age group, which both rose from 94% to 95%. Second doses have plateaued for all age groups 12 and up, with rates ranging from 92% to 97%.
Pediatric vaccination rates, for the five-to-11-year-olds, continue to climb slightly. First-dose rates have stabilized at 68% – tied with Burnaby for the highest childhood vaccination rate in the Fraser Health region (Burnaby to Hope). Second-dose rates increased slightly, from 50% to 52%, keeping New West at the top of Fraser Health.
Third-dose, or booster shot, rates made incremental moves upwards for older adults: from 81% to 82% for the 70+ group, and from 74% to 75% for 50+. But the overall third-dose rate sits at just 65%, and it's only at 57% for younger adults (18 to 49).
(See numbers at bottom of story for full age-group breakdowns.)
B.C. recently announced plans for fourth doses, or second boosters, for a small group of high-risk individuals, but those numbers are not yet being published.
How to get a COVID booster dose in B.C.
Everyone 12 and over who has received their first two doses of vaccine is eligible for a third dose six months after their second. (That interval is reduced to eight weeks for anyone who is pregnant.)
Fourth doses are also available for a small group of high-risk individuals: residents of long-term care, Indigenous people aged 55+, and all adults 70+.Those who are eligible for the fourth dose (second booster) can get it six months after their third dose (first booster).
You can find all the details, ensure you're registered and book appointments through the B.C. Get Vaccinated website.
What are vaccination rates like in New Westminster?
Here's how vaccination rates look across the board as of April 10 (numbers as of April 5 in brackets):
First dose:
5-11: 68% (68%)
5+: 95% (94%)
12-17: 96% (95%)
18+: 96% (96%)
18-49: 99% (99%)
50+: 93% (93%)
70+: 95% (94%)
Second dose:
5-11: 52% (50%)
5+: 92% (92%)
12-17: 92% (92%)
18+: 94% (94%)
18-49: 97% (97%)
50+: 92% (92%)
70+: 92% (92%)
Third dose:
12-17: 47% (47%)
5+: 60% (60%)
18+: 65% (65%)
18-49: 57% (57%)
50+: 75% (74%)
70+: 82% (81%)
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
