Northern Health is adding COVID-19 vaccine clinic days here in an effort to offer first shots to young people from 12 to 17 and to provide second doses for people already having their first dose.
Yesterday’s June 1 clinic is to be followed by ones on June 3, June 5, June 10, June 15, June 17, June 24 and July 3 and July 7.
Those who have received a first dose and have already registered need to know book an appointment for their second shot on the provincial registration and booking site while those wanting a first shot need to register first.
As it is, the latest available data from provincial authorities indicate there is a fairly high level of people who have already received their first shot in this region.
Houston is within Northern Health’s Smithers Local Health Area and the latest data, as of May 24, places the vaccination rate of eligible people over the age of 50 at 73 per cent and at 58 per cent for those eligible over the age of 18.
Granisle is within Northern Health’s Burns Lake Local Health Area and the vaccination rates there are similar for first doses — 72 per cent of those eligible over the age of 50 and 61 per cent of those eligible over the age of 18.
Northern Health’s Steve Raper said it is focussing on second doses for now for those who received their first dose in late February and into early March.
“According to the data provided from the province, Houston has slightly less than 350 youth aged 12-17 who are eligible for the vaccine,” he added of the expanded vaccine eligibility, first announced by the province the third week of May.
As with previous clinics, the location is the Coast Mountain College campus building. Clinic times may vary.
Vaccine clinic dates and locations for Granisle residents have yet to be determined.