Kelowna 
British Columbia is gearing up for the fall respiratory illness season by encouraging residents aged six months and older to get their COVID-19 and influenza vaccines and making medical masks mandatory in healthcare settings.
B.C. says the move aims to protect the health-care system from a potential surge in hospital visits during the season.
To bolster protection in health-care facilities, starting October 3, 2023, all health-care workers, volunteers, contractors, and visitors in patient care areas will be required to wear medical masks.
Long-term care visitors must also wear masks in common areas and during indoor events.
Protecting BC this Respiratory Illness Season Presentation Sept 28; Credit: BC Govt.
The province says ambassadors will facilitate symptom screening, distribute masks, and promote hand hygiene at facility entrances.
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, emphasized the importance of immunization in safeguarding individuals, loved ones, and health-care workers.
Priority populations, including seniors 65 and older, Indigenous peoples, and those with chronic health conditions, will have early access to vaccine appointments. Immunization for the general public starts on October 10, 2023.
The vaccines will be available at pharmacies, health-authority clinics, and select primary-care providers’ offices across the province, all free of charge. Enhanced influenza vaccines for seniors will also be accessible.
Protecting BC this Respiratory Illness Season Presentation Sept 28; Credit: BC Govt.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, urged everyone to adopt protective measures like mask-wearing and frequent hand cleaning as respiratory virus infections, including COVID-19, rise in the region.
Additionally, the province has contingency plans to expand hospital beds and expedite patient flow in anticipation of higher demand during the fall and winter months.
British Columbia has secured 2.8 million updated COVID-19 vaccine doses and 2.3 million new influenza vaccine doses for the upcoming respiratory illness season, with 1,300 pharmacies for influenza and 1,200 for COVID-19 vaccinations.
