A third vaccine dose against COVID-19 is still not available for children under 12 years old, but Tri-City kids are still choosing to get jabbed as summer is courting travel for families.
And, albeit modest increases, young ones are also helping boost local vaccination rates.
New data from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) shows that 53 per cent of eligible children in the region, aged five to 11, have received two shots against the virus since it became available.
That's the third highest in Fraser Health, as of June 5.
Broken down, that average includes a 60 per cent rate among kids in Port Moody — the highest among municipalities in the authority's jurisdiction and fourth in all of B.C. — 52 per cent in Coquitlam and 49 per cent in Port Coquitlam.
As well, children electing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 have helped Port Coquitlam break free of a significant threshold.
The community is now at a 91 per cent first-dose rate for all eligible residents aged five and older.
PoCo is the last in the Tri-Cities to officially surpass a 90 per cent average since children were added to the BCCDC's overall stats earlier this year.
B.C. kids were given the green light to receive a dose against the virus in on Nov. 29, 2021, and become eligible for a second shot eight weeks after.
On average, the Tri-Cities still holds 92 and 90 per cent single- and double-vaccination rates, and a 59 per cent median among eligible boosters.
The latest surveillance numbers are as follows. Case rates represent new cases per 100,000 people by local health area and community health service area:
North Coquitlam
- Case rate: One
- Nine per cent positivity rate
- 67 per cent of five to 11 population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 92 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 89 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with a second dose
- 74 per cent of 50+ population vaccinated with a third dose
Southwest Coquitlam
- Case rate: One
- Eight per cent positivity rate
- 64 per cent of five to 11 population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 94 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 92 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with a second dose
- 76 per cent of 50+ population vaccinated with a third dose
Southeast Coquitlam
- Case rate: Three
- 16 per cent positivity rate
- 64 per cent of five to 11 population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 91 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 89 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with a second dose
- 75 per cent of 50+ population vaccinated with a third dose
Port Coquitlam
- Case rate: Two
- 15 per cent positivity rate
- 61 per cent of five to 11 population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 91 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 88 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with a second dose
- 76 per cent of 50+ population vaccinated with a third dose
Port Moody–Anmore–Belcarra
- Case rate: Four
- 13 per cent positivity rate
- 71 per cent of five to 11 population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 92 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with at least one dose
- 90 per cent of 5+ population vaccinated with a second dose
- 78 per cent of 50+ population vaccinated with a third dose
Travel requirement axed
If you're not vaccinated against COVID-19, you'll soon be able to board trains in Canada, as well as domestic and departing flights to international destinations.
Starting Monday (June 20), the federal government is lifting the requirement that travellers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The country will continue to require foreign nationals to be vaccinated. Returning unvaccinated Canadians will continue to need to provide proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test, and to quarantine for 14 days.
The government also lifted its requirement that all of its transportation-sector employees, other core federal employees and members of the RCMP be fully vaccinated.
"The mandatory vaccination requirement successfully mitigated the full impact of COVID-19 for travellers and workers in the transportation sector and provided broader protection to our communities," said transport minister Omar Alghabra.
"Suspending this requirement is possible thanks to the tens of millions of Canadians who did the right thing: they stepped up, rolled up their sleeves, and got vaccinated. This action will support Canada’s transportation system as we recover from the pandemic."
Mask mandates remain on planes, trains and ships.
Vaccine clinic
Eligible Tri-City residents still looking to get immunized against COVID-19 can do so at a multi-vaccination clinic in Coquitlam.
Fraser Health's set-up in the Poirier Admin Building (640 Poirier St.) is now an all-ages facility after the authority officially closed its mass drive-thru operation at Coquitlam Central SkyTrain Station on May 31.
Parents and guardians wishing to get their child protected from the virus can also come to the clinic as other vaccines against other diseases are also available.
This includes:
- COVID-19 vaccine
- For eligible children and adolescents aged five and older
- Tdap-IPV vaccine
- Protects against tetanus diphtheria, whooping cough and polio
- MMRV vaccine
- Protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox
Before receiving a dose against COVID-19, Tri-City residents are encouraged to register via B.C.'s GetVaccinated online portal or call 1-833-838-2323.
You can also visit the province's website for more information.
- with files from Glen Korstrom, Business In Vancouver
Fraser Health closes Coquitlam's large COVID-19 vaccine clinic https://t.co/PaFRHx1C95
— Tri-City News (@TriCityNews) June 3, 2022
