The B.C. government is urging residents to get their free COVID-19 and flu shots before the holidays.
“We want everyone in B.C. to be safe as they gather this holiday season,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer in a release.
“That is why continuing to practise healthy habits is so important, so people can focus on connecting and celebrating during the coming weeks.”
This year’s respiratory illness immunization campaign was launched on Oct. 20. As of Dec. 10, B.C. had administered 1,443,752 doses of influenza vaccines and 1,289,849 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
In Northern Health, 56,381 influenza vaccines have been administered since October 10th, along with 48,161 COVID-19 vaccines. (As of December 10th)
B.C. has the highest vaccination rate in the country.
COVID-19 cases have been declining since October. As of Dec. 10, there were 182 patients in hospital with COVID-19, 17 of them in critical care.
–Files by Josiah Spyker, My East Kootenay Now