BC announces which essential workers will receive AstraZeneca vaccine first

Mar 15 2021, 8:33 pm

BC health officials released a list of several groups of workers Monday who will be first in line to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

BC’s first AstraZeneca shipment will go to certain essential workers who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection because they live in communal settings, their work environment makes wearing PPE difficult, or there are ongoing clusters and outbreaks.

“Immunizing workers in these settings will not only protect workers, it will also protect the communities around them, including many rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a news release.

These are the groups who will receive AstraZeneca first:

  • Workers in food processing plants, including poultry, fruit, and fish processing sites
  • Agricultural workers who live in congregate accommodations at farms, nurseries, and greenhouses
  • Workers who live in large industrial camps with congregate accommodations for staff
  • People who live in other large congregate living settings for their job that make isolation and quarantine difficult

Teachers were not mentioned in the list of workers who will receive the first round of AstraZeneca vaccine.

BC health officials have urged British Columbians to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible, no matter which vaccine it is.

“Remember, the best vaccine for you is the one available now,” Henry said.

More information about additional shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be released soon, according to the provincial government.

Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

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