How to get vaccinated for COVID-19 (2024)

Immunization is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself against severe illness from COVID-19.

Get a COVID-19 vaccine this spring

People in British Columbia can get an additional COVID-19 immunization from April 8 to June 30. This dose will help maintain and extend protection against serious illnesses from COVID-19.

The following groups are recommended to get an additional dose:

Adults 65 years and older
Indigenous people 55 and older
Residents of long-term care homes and assisted living facilities
Individuals 6 months and older and who have been diagnosed as clinically extremely vulnerable (a CEV 1 or CEV 2 condition)
Anyone who did not receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine (XBB.1.5) from October 2023 to March 2024

Starting April 8, invitations will begin to be sent to people recommended for a spring COVID-19 immunization through the Get Vaccinated system. It’s best to book your appointment in advance.

Thevaccineisfree and available at pharmacies, health authority clinics,some primary care providers’ offices and community health centres.

B.C.’sspringimmunization guidancefollows the National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s(NACI)recommendations.

Stay up to date on COVID-19 immunizations

B.C.’s COVID-19 spring program is focused on providing vaccines to those most at risk of severe COVID-19 illness or complications, and people who have not yet received an updated vaccine dose.

If you are not in the groups at risk for serious illness from COVID-19 this spring, you will receive a notification when it is time to book your appointment.

If you have questions about your eligibility for an additional spring dose, call the call centre.

If you haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C.

1. Register with the Get Vaccinated system

You can register yourself or someone else, like a parent, grandparent or child.We will never ask you foryour Social Insurance Number, driver's licence number orbanking andcredit card details.

Fastest option: Online

To register online, you must provide:

First and last name
Date of birth
Postal code
Personal Health Number (PHN)
An email address that gets checked regularlyora phone number that can receive text messages

Find your PHNon the back of your B.C. driver's licence, BC Services Card or CareCard.

Other registration and booking options

By phone – Pick this option if you don't have a PHN

Ifyou don't have a Personal Health Number (PHN), you need to register by phone.A PHN will be created for you.

Call:1-833-838-2323|Monday to Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. Statutory holidays, 9 am to 5 pm.| Translators are available

Outside Canada and the USA: 1-604-681-4261

Telephone for the Deaf: Dial 711

Video Relay Services (VRS) provides sign language interpretationfree for registered deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired people.

At a Service BC office

You can register in-person at all Service BC offices.

Office hours vary by location. Check before you go.

2. Book my vaccineappointment

After youregister, we will send you a booking invitation link. Use the link to book your vaccine appointmentonline or by phone.

If needed, you can easilyreschedule or cancel your appointment online
If you can't find your booking link, you canget a new one

3. What to expect at my appointment

ReviewCOVID-19 vaccine safety information from HealthLinkBCbefore your appointment.Plan to be at yourappointmentfor 15 to 30 minutes.

Expand All|Collapse All

Arrive prepared

Get ready for your appointment:

You don't need to fast.Be sure to drink water
Bring your booking confirmation and photo ID
Wear a short-sleeved shirt
Arrive a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time

During the appointment

At the pharmacy or clinic you will:

Check-in with your photo ID and booking confirmation. For modesty, you can ask for a private location to get your shot
Get your vaccine dose
Wait in an observation area after your shot for about 15 minutes

4.After my appointment

Review COVID-19 immunizationaftercareinstructions from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Understand my vaccine options

Expand All|Collapse All

Vaccines available in B.C.

Health Canada has a thorough approval process to make sure all the vaccines and medicines are safe.

Health Canada approved updated Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in September 2023 for people 6 months and older. These vaccines are available in B.C. and offer good protection against the new variants of COVID-19.

Find the latestapproved vaccines in Canada.

Give consent at the vaccine appointment

Consent is required for children to get a COVID-19 vaccine.You'll be asked to provide consent at theappointment.

Consent for a child can be provided by a:

Parent,legal guardian or foster parent
Custodial caregiver like a grandparent or relative

Only oneparent, legal guardianor foster parentis required to give consent.

I've already had COVID-19

Even if you've already had COVID-19 and recovered, you should still get immunized.

If you were recently sick,you can get the vaccine once your symptoms have passed.

If you have anappointment butyou still have symptoms, reschedule for when you will be fully recovered.

Other considerations

Everyone who is eligible can be safely immunizedagainst COVID-19, although a very small number of people may need to delay vaccination if they have severe allergies to parts of the vaccine.

If you have concerns, discuss with your health care provider about how you can safely receive the vaccines.

Visit BC Centre for Disease Control'svaccine considerations page to learn more.

My immunization record

When you get immunized, yourinformation will be entered into the electronic Provincial Immunization Registry. You can access yourimmunization record online or request a printed copy by phone or at a Service BC office.

Online:

You need aBC services card to register.

Phone:

Call 1-833-838-2323 to request a mailed copy of your immunization record.

In person at aService BC office:

You can get a printed copy of your immunization record at allService BC offices.

Proof of vaccinationis no longer required to accessbusinesses, events and services in B.C.

Update my record

If you wereimmunizedoutside B.C., you should add your records to the Provincial Immunization Registry. This helps to ensure that you get notified when it's time to book your next appointment.

Submit or update your immunizationrecords.

Resources

Vaccine safety

Health Canada has a thorough approval process to make sure all the vaccines and medicines we take are safe.

Vaccines are tested extensively before being approved for use
Health Canadacontinues to monitor for vaccine safety
No major safety concerns have been identified in the data Health Canada reviewed

Review Health Canada guidance onCOVID-19 vaccine safety and side effects.

I need help

I don't have my invitation

You must beregistered with the Get Vaccinated systemto get an invitation. If you haven't yet received or can't find your invitation:

Check that your contact information is up-to-date

Re-send your booking link

Phone the call centre if you have questions about your COVID-19 immunizationoptions and need help booking an appointment. Phone agents can't answer questions about the best timing for your next dose.

Call:1-833-838-2323

Monday to Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. Statutory holidays, 9 am to 5 pm| Translators are available

Outside Canada and the USA:1-604-681-4261

Telephone for the Deaf: Dial711

Video Relay Services (VRS) sign language interpretationisfree for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired.