Vancouver Coastal Health offering COVID-19 vaccine to all priority frontline workers

Frontline and essential workers in the Vancouver Coastal Health region can now receive their first COVID-19 vaccination.

Vancouver Coastal Health made the announcement on Thursday, explaining that the immunization program would be open to the following frontline and essential workers that are over the age of 18:

• Employees at identified at-risk businesses
• K-12 educational staff
• First responders
• Child-care providers
• Grocery store workers

“Eligible workers will hear from their employers about how to register and book an appointment using a unique access code,” VCH explained on Twitter.

We’re happy to share that first dose COVID-19 vaccines are now available for priority frontline workers age 18+ through the Provincial Vaccination Program.

Eligible workers will hear from their employers about how to register and book an appointment using a unique access code. pic.twitter.com/xULBd0U8rF

— Vancouver Coastal Health (@VCHhealthcare) May 6, 2021

Fraser Health Authority also announced this week that essential workers in the region would be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, including school staff, childcare workers, first responders, and grocery store employees.

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The provincial government says that it’s at a “new and encouraging point” in COVID-19 vaccine supply, with more than a million doses expected throughout May.

“This is good news for all of us,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a press conference. “It means everybody who’s eligible will have access to a vaccine before Canada Day, and we think significantly before that. And that leads us to think about the interval we have between dose one and dose two.”

Henry added that with the expected increase in immunizations and supply, officials would look into reducing the time between doses.