VANCOUVER Coastal Health (VCH) announced on Monday that COVID-19 vaccination clinics will open to eligible seniors on Monday, March 15. People 80 years of age and older, and Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) people 65 years of age and older, will be eligible to be vaccinated as part of Phase 2 of the B.C. COVID-19 Immunization Plan.
VCH will have vaccination clinic sites across Vancouver, Richmond and Urban and Rural Coastal communities. Most vaccination clinics will be open seven days a week, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. with evening appointments also available. Dedicated sites have also been established for Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) people, which will offer services that are culturally safe, with ceremonial plans in place.
An appointment booking toll-free phone line will begin operating on Monday, March 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. People 80 years of age and older, and Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) people 65 years of age and older, can book their appointment by age group by calling 1-877-587-5767.
To facilitate access to as many eligible seniors and Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) people as possible, VCH invites people in the following age groups to call the appointment booking phone line from the dates indicated below:
Richmond, Vancouver, North Vancouver and West Vancouver
Call starting March 8: (Vaccinations starting March 15)
Year of birth in or before 1931 (seniors 90 years of age and older); year of birth in or before 1956 for Indigenous people (65 years of age and older)
Call starting March 15: (Vaccinations starting March 22)
Year of birth in or before 1936 (seniors 85 years of age and older); year of birth in or before 1956 for Indigenous people (65 years of age and older)
Call starting March 22: (Vaccinations starting March 29)
Year of birth in or before 1941 (seniors 80 years of age and older); year of birth in or before 1956 for Indigenous people (65 years of age and older)
Sunshine Coast, Powell River, Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton
Call starting March 8: (Vaccinations starting March 15)
Year of birth in or before 1941 (seniors 80 years of age and older); year of birth in or before 1956 for Indigenous people (65 years of age and older)
Before calling the phone line, people are asked to have a pen and paper, their personal health number, full name, date of birth, postal code and a phone number available.
For reference, below is important contact information related to COVID-19 vaccine.
● If you are eligible to book a vaccine appointment at VCH: call 1-877-587-5767. This toll free line is only for booking vaccine appointments.
● If you have a clinical question: first speak with your family doctor or nurse practitioner, or call 811 for nursing advice prior to booking your appointment.
● For questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, call 1-888-COVID19 (1.888.268.4319) or visit gov.bc.ca/covid19.
● For information on VCH vaccination clinics: vch.ca.
VCH is appealing to family members, friends, neighbours and social services agencies to help reach eligible seniors in the community. Share the COVID-19 vaccination information with people 80 years of age and older, or Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) people 65 years of age and older, to help them plan ahead for when the appointment booking phone line opens, according to age group.