If you are eligible to make a vaccination appointment you can use B.C.’s new online registration system.
This system has three simple steps:
Visit gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated to register and for more information.
A provincial call centre (1-833-838-2323) is available for people who do not have a Personal Health Number or need additional support making an appointment. This service is available in 140 languages.
Or you can register in-person at the nearest Service BC location starting April 6.
You will need to provide your:
Once you are eligible to register, you remain eligible.
*If you are in the CEV cohort and have received an invitation letter signed by Dr. Bonnie Henry, please book an appointment via the call centre first and remember to bring your letter with you to your appointment.
Before you call, we recommend you review information from the BC Centre for Disease Control on the planning, timing and safety of the vaccine with consideration of your health condition.
If you were expecting to be on the clinically extremely vulnerable list but have not received a patient invitation letter by April 15, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are not eligible. Please visit the BC Government’s Clinically Extremely Vulnerable page for information and next steps.
Not all medical conditions are included on the clinically extremely vulnerable list.
The list identifies conditions that are the strongest drivers of hospitalization and mortality risk.
Island Health is contacting some people directly to book appointments. If you fall into the following groups, there is no need to call.
If you are a front-line priority worker, do not call your local health authority. All AstraZeneca/SII COVISHIELD (AZ/SII) vaccine appointments will be organized by employers. Appointment information will be communicated clearly and directly to each sector and employer.
Please check the B.C. Government COVID-19 Immunization website for more information.
Health-care workers in the following professional categories who are working in the Island Health region are eligible for vaccination in Phase 2. Primary care providers will receive information through their Division of Family Practice. Other professionals listed here will receive information from their professional regulatory body with instructions for making an appointment.
You do not need to call Island Health at this time.
Island Health continues to work in close partnership with First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation British Columbia and Friendship Centers across Vancouver Island to improve cultural safety in all areas of health-care, including at COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
Indigenous people and communities continue to be prioritized, resulting in early access to vaccine, especially for communities exposed or vulnerable to COVID-19.
The lessons learned and ongoing collaboration between agencies and communities informs Island Health’s vaccination rollout, including how to create a culturally safe environment for everyone. This includes cultural safety training for staff and volunteers, as well as employing staff from partner organizations at COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
Island Health acknowledges that historical and current health system trauma may result in Indigenous individuals not wanting to visit a health authority site to be vaccinated. To address this, Island Health is pleased to be working with Indigenous partners to ensure vaccination clinic staff and volunteers have cultural safety and humility training.
We have also worked with Indigneous partners to have the Greater Victoria Friendship Centre, the Port Alberni Friendship Centre and the Sacred Wolf Friendship Centre as locations where vaccine can also be delivered. We are also working with Indigenous partners on similar opportunities in other communities.
The COVID-19 AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine is available for adults ages 55-65 through select community pharmacies. These shots are available the first dose of a patient's COVID-19 vaccine ONLY. Find more information and locations here.
All clinics are listed here, but your registration agent will confirm your appointment date and time at the location nearest to you: https://covid19.islandclinics.ca
If you live in the following communities, you will be part of the whole community approach to COVID-19 vaccinations. For specific details, visit our whole community approach page.
Bamfield, Cortes Island, Denman Island, Gabriola Island, Galiano Island, Gold River, Hornby Island, Kyuquot, Lasqueti Island, Mayne Island, Pender Island, Piers Island, Port Alice, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Port Renfrew, Protection Island, Quadra Island, Read Island, Saturna Island, Sayward, Sointula, Pender Island, Tahsis, Thetis Island, Tofino, Ucluelet, Woss and Zeballos
Arrive prepared
You must bring your patient invitation letter and your Personal Health Number to your appointment.
During the appointment
At the clinic you will:
Island Health tightly manages our vaccine supply and ensures that any leftover vaccine is prioritized for eligible and pre-identified populations. We do not maintain a standby list of people who show up at the clinic.
Getting one of the approved vaccines is the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19, which is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. In clinical trials, those who received a vaccine were about 95% less likely to become sick with COVID-19. When you get immunized, you help to protect others as well, including those who are unable to get the vaccine.
Visit gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
For now, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) orders and guidelines remain in place for everyone, even if they have received the vaccine.
It is also extremely important that people continue to seek testing for COVID-19 if needed. Click here to learn more about symptoms and testing.
We know how important it is that Indigenous identity is respected, in every step of this process. If someone self identifies as Indigenous, additional proof of identity will not be required.
If someone does not have a Personal Health Number but is living in B.C., they can still call and make an appointment to be immunized. Public health has procedures in place for booking appointments for people who are living in B.C. who do not have a Personal Health Number.
On March 1, 2021, B.C.s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, noted we will be moving to 16 week intervals between the first and second dose of the vaccine. You will be contacted when it is time to schedule your second dose.
Visit ImmunizeBC for further COVID-19 vaccine questions and answers.
For non-health related vaccine or COVID-19 information, speak to a BC Services Agent:
For questions specific to residents in Island Health, email: vislandhealth.info@viha.ca
