Friday January 21, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
On Vancouver Island if you’re heading out for a booster shot, in most cases expect to be offered the Moderna mRNA type vaccine.
As reported on January 20 in BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) stats for Island Health, the third-dose count for Moderna shots is 305,728 so far. Compare that to 25,711 Pfizer boosters to date. It’s Moderna pretty much all the way!
In the 24 hours reported in the January 20 BC CDC report, there were 9,931 doses of Moderna administered in Island Health, compared to just 1,138 Pfizer. AstraZeneca saw just 32 doses administered in the last 24 hours. Pediatric Pfizer (for kids age 5 to 11 years) saw 26 shots done.
| Vaccine Type | 1st Dose | 2nd Dose | 3rd Dose (booster) | TOTAL Administered Pandemic to Date | New Since Last Report |
| All | 731,854 | 684,271 | 331,454 | 1,747,579 | 11,127 |
| AstraZeneca | 24,165 | 11,854 | 15 | 36,034 | 32 |
| Moderna | 186,526 | 215,991 | 305,728 | 705,245 | 9,931 |
| Pfizer (adult) | 494,421 | 456,317 | 25,711 | 976,449 | 1,138 |
| Pfizer (pediatric) | 29,743 | 109 | 0 | 29,851 | 26 |
Booster shots are available after an 8-week interval for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Otherwise, the recommended interval between the second dose and a booster shot (third dose) is still six months, as Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry has stated several times.
Immunization program & Moderna for adults:
The BC Immunization Program is pushing hard on health-care workers who are obviously the ones busy administering these shots. Shots are also be administered in pharmacies across BC.
Moderna is in the greatest supply. Of the 48,760 COVID vaccine doses distributed for administration last week, 39,600 (81.2%) were Moderna.
Now of all the 705,245 Moderna shots administered in Island Health, 305,728 (43.4%) have been boosters.
In just one day (24 hours January 19 to 20) 9,931 doses of Moderna were administered in Island Health. That’s 89.25% of all vaccine doses (AstraZeneca, Modern, Pfizer, and pediatric Pfizer) administered in that 24-hour period.
Pfizer product is being shifted for use as pediatric shots, it was mentioned by public health in recent weeks.
Booster shot dosage levels:
The Moderna booster contains 50 mcg mRNA compared to the first and second doses which contained 100 mcg, said BC Health in a statement to Island Social Trends last week. Although, people living in long-term care and assisted living facilities, as well as people age 70+ are still being given the 100 mcg shots.
The Pfizer booster dosage is 30 mcg mRNA (same as the primary series).
Pediatric dosage level:
Pediatric Pfizer for kids age 5 to 11 years is 10 mcg mRNA. So far, just first and second doses have been administered to children in that age group. The vaccine for that age cohort only first became available on November 29, 2021. An interval of eight weeks between first and second doses is recommended.
===== RELATED:
Foam COVID-shot delivery trays developed at Camosun College (January 17, 2022)
COVID vaccination profile in Island Health at January 11 (January 11, 2022)
Vancouver Island COVID 2022 into the new year: Jan 7 (January 7, 2022)
COVID shots available at 81 pharmacies on Vancouver Island (January 6, 2022)
Lots of COVID over New Year’s weekend (January 3, 2022)
Two mRNA booster vaccines now approved in Canada (November 12, 2021)
PHAC: Same COVID vaccines in Canada, new names (September 16, 2021)