Long before COVID-19 vaccine is available, B.C. begins planning for rollout

It will still take at least a year before a vaccine is available for the novel coronavirus, but B.C.'s provincial health officer says a framework is ready for who will get priority immunization.

Dr. Bonnie Henry said a vaccine rollout is part of the province's pandemic strategy, and there are plans across the country for mass vaccination clinics related to COVID-19.

"We've been thinking about that quite a bit ... It can happen quite quickly," Henry said during her daily briefing on Tuesday.

"I would see people like health-care workers being first in line for the vaccine, as well as our seniors and elders, as well as people who are immunocompromised or have underlying conditions that make them more at risk."

Watch | Dr. Bonnie Henry explains how a coronavirus vaccine would roll out

Who would be first in line to get a new COVID-19 vaccine?

5 years ago

Duration 1:17

Although a vaccination against coronavirus does not exist, B.C. has already planning for when it does become available.

The priority will be immunizing those who are most at risk of infection, and it will take months before the vaccine is deployed across the province, Henry said.

She added that she does not foresee COVID-19 vaccinations being mandatory.