Dose 1: Drop-ins are welcome for those aged 12 and older at all VCH clinics on a first-come, first-served depending on vaccine availability. See the vaccination clinic listings for updated dates and locations. 

Dose 2: Everyone who received dose 1 can register and book an appointment for dose 2 using the provincial Get Vaccinated system. Approximately 28 days after your first dose, you will get an invitation by text, email or phone call to book your second dose appointment. Clinic options will be provided at the time of booking.

Booster Dose: Everyone aged 18 and older who received dose 1 and 2, and who wants a booster, will receive an invitation to book a booster appointment about 6 months after their dose 2 vaccination. Pregnant people 18 years and older can get a booster dose 8 weeks after their second dose. You must make an appointment for a booster dose. 

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found mostly in animals. In humans, they can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). The illness caused by this relatively new coronavirus has been named COVID-19.

For the latest on symptoms related to COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 symptoms page.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, use the B.C. self-assessment tool to determine if you need to be tested.‎

Agencies such as the World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the BC Centre for Disease Control are continually evaluating the latest scientific evidence to determine how to best prevent and control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

COVID-19 is spread by the respiratory droplets an infected person produces when they breathe, cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. Droplets come in a wide range of sizes and they behave differently depending on their size. Larger droplets are heavier, and they usually fall to the ground within two meters. Smaller droplets, also known as aerosols, are lighter and they can float in the air for longer. Opening windows or increasing fresh air intake with mechanical ventilation can help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For tips on prevention, visit our COVID-19 prevention page.

VCH and the province of B.C. have been regularly sharing advice and tips on how people can protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19. Vaccines don't just protect the people getting vaccinated; they protect everyone around them too. The more people in a community who are vaccinated and therefore protected from COVID-19, the harder it is for it to spread. Other important measures include staying home if sick, washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, maintaining physical distance when possible in public settings and wearing a mask in indoor public places if you are not fully vaccinated. 

Visit our COVID-19 prevention page.

Please refer to the Province-wide restrictions page on the Government of B.C. website.

For more information, visit BC's Restart Plan.

If you think you may have COVID-19, visit our If you are sick page for more information. 

Visit our COVID-19 testing page to learn about testing. 

When you self-isolate, you stay home and keep away from others to help stop the spread of COVID-19. See details on guidance depending on vaccination status.

‎

The Provincial Health Officer has issued an order for all individuals, places of work, and businesses across the province. Please keep up to date with current orders by referring to the Government of B.C. website: Orders, notices, and guidance

For more healthy practices, visit our COVID-19 prevention page or the Sneezes and Diseases website.

Learn about BC's Restart: A plan to bring us back together. 

For current public health orders, visit Province-wide restrictions on the BC Gov website. 

Learn about BC's Restart: A plan to bring us back together. 

For a full listing of current provincial health officer orders, visit the Government of B.C. website: Orders, notices, and guidance.

If you had COVID-19 you should still get a primary series and booster as recommended once you have recovered. Your body naturally generates antibodies when you get COVID-19, but we do not know how long immunity lasts, or how many antibodies your body produces. This is why some people have had COVID-19 more than once, and why it is recommended you still get vaccinated.

People who are sick with COVID-19 must wait until they have recovered from acute illness before getting vaccinated.

 For more information, visit ImmunizeBC FAQs and common COVID-19 questions on BCCDC.

If you have concerns that a specific business is not following public health orders, or concerns about people not following provincial health orders for gatherings, you can contact your local municipality.

Your children may be worried about their family, friends and themselves. It is important to talk to your children about this disease and give them some reassurance. It may be difficult to know what to say or how much information to share. At the link are some resources that can help support you in your efforts to provide information about COVID-19 to your children.

• BC Children's Hospital: Talking to children about COVID-19

There is a limited supply of Janssen vaccine in B.C. This is a single-dose vaccine; one dose qualifies the recipient as fully vaccinated under all Provincial Health Officer's orders that require vaccination, including for employment.

If this is the vaccine you want, please call 1-833-838-2323 and inform the agent that your preference is to receive the Janssen vaccine and you can be added to a waitlist for this vaccine.

Only the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been authorized for use by Health Canada as booster doses. According to guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), a booster dose with a viral vector COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca Vaxzevria or Janssen) should only be considered when other authorized COVID-19 vaccines are contraindicated or inaccessible. For more information, please see the Government of Canada website or this specific resource on vaccine doses in Canada.

For more information about the Janssen vaccine visit Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine on Canada.ca.

Find information about COVID safety in schools on our For school communities - Kindergarten to Grade 12 page. 

All employers must follow enhanced protocols mandated by the Public Health and Safety Guidelines and WorkSafeBC. If for any reason you are concerned about the safety of yourself or your colleagues at your workplace, contact WorkSafeBC.

Do not go to work if you have cold, flu or COVID-like symptoms. For more healthy practices, visit our COVID-19 Prevention page or the Sneezes and Diseases website. For information on the latest testing guidelines, please visit our COVID-19 testing page and also learn what to do if you are sick.