Wednesday October 22, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted 5:19 pm | Updated October 23, 2025]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Fall respiratory illness season is ramping up in BC.
Today Minister of Health Josie Osborne and Dr. Martin Lavoie, deputy provincial health officer made an announcement about the fall respiratory illness season.
As stated by the Ministry of Health, influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available to the public free of charge again this year to help protect people in BC from respiratory illness this fall and winter.
Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care Susie Chant also attended today’s announcement.
As part of the announcement, Osborne and Lavoie received their vaccinations at a pharmacy in downtown Victoria.
Encouraging vaccination:
People in B.C. are encouraged to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from influenza, COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses, as the 2025-26 immunization campaign is underway.
Historical perspective:
It was only five years ago that the COVID-19 corona virus emerged into the world. The first nine months of of the pandemic (March to December 2020) had no vaccine availability. The first COVID vaccine rollout in BC started in in January 2021.
Flu vaccines are updated every year based on available information about circulating flu viruses.
Both COVID and influenza mutate over time. COVID-19 vaccines this year have been updated to include the LP.8.1. variant.
Strong numbers so far:
Notifications began for priority populations on October 7, and appointments started October 14, 2025. Notifications will continue and expand to the general population through early November 2025.
- Since Oct. 7, 2025, more than two million people have received an invitation to book a vaccination.
- As of Oct. 19, 2025, almost 275,000 individuals had been vaccinated for influenza in B.C., compared to almost 254,000 by end of the first week of the 2024 vaccine campaign.
- As of Oct. 19, 2025, almost 215,000 individuals had been vaccinated for COVID-19 in B.C., compared to almost 158,000 by end of first week of the 2024 vaccine campaign year.
Supply:
B.C. has secured 1.94 million doses of the 2025-26 influenza vaccine and 1.4 million doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna Spikevax LP.8.1 and Pfizer Comirnaty, which are approved by Health Canada.
This year’s vaccine supply is based on uptake in previous seasons to ensure efficient use and to minimize waste.
Late fall timeline:
“The respiratory virus season typically starts in mid-to-late fall and with this, we need to keep ourselves and our loved ones protected,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie, deputy provincial health officer. “Immunization remains the best protection against severe disease, complications and hospitalization. People should also take other measures, including staying home if they are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning their hands frequently.”
While anyone can get sick from influenza or COVID-19, some groups are at higher risk of serious illness and complications. These include adults 65 and older, pregnant individuals, people living in long-term care, Indigenous people and those with chronic conditions. People working in essential community services, such as health-care workers, may be at risk or more likely to be exposed to individuals at higher risk.
Lavoie encourages people six months and older to get immunized with the updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines so they are best protected against severe illnesses. For COVID-19, it is strongly recommended that people who provide essential community and health-care services and those with the highest risk of severe illness and complications get immunized.
B.C.’s viral respiratory illness campaign is in alignment with recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and aims to ensure priority for those most at risk. Vaccines are free, safe, easy to access and available to everyone six months and older.
“Getting a vaccination is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can look out for each other, and it helps to keep our health-care system from being overwhelmed,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health.
“I want to thank every British Columbian who rolls up their sleeves, as well as the nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals who make vaccinations possible in communities across B.C.”
Fees:
Influenza and COVID vaccines are free for everyone, said Minister Osborne today.
Seniors will continue to receive enhanced influenza vaccines free of charge, which offer them better protection against influenza than standard-dose vaccines.
The cost of the vaccine product is paid for the provincial and/or federal government, says the Ministry of Health.
The government pays pharmacies (through Pharmacare) a fee for administering a dose of a publicly funded vaccine.
In BC, the fee for administering a publicly funded vaccine (including COVID-19 vaccines) to an eligible B.C. resident is $12.10, according to BC Health. PharmaCare pays that fee when an authorized pharmacist, and in some cases non-pharmacist, administers a publicly funded vaccine.
Booking an appointment:
Notifications to book influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are being sent through the Get Vaccinated system. Anyone not yet registered in the Get Vaccinated system can register online or by calling 1 833 838-2323.
Vaccines are available through health authority clinics, more than 1,200 participating pharmacies and some primary-care providers’ offices.
BC Health Link: HOW TO GET VACCINATED
More information:
- About COVID-19: https://www.healthlink.bc.ca/
- About influenza (flu) vaccines: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/immunizations/flu
- About COVID-19 immunization: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/immunizations/covid-19-immunization
- About influenza: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-library/health-features/influenza-flu-season
- About health information services in B.C.: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/
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NEWS SECTIONS: HEALTH | IMMUNIZATION | COVID