Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement on National Immunization Awareness Week, April 22-30, 2024:

“National Immunization Awareness Week is an annual event to recognize the importance immunization plays in keeping our communities safe. The theme for this year is ‘Protect your future. Get immunized!’

“Immunization plays a vital role in maintaining public health by reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. It lowers the number of cases, hospitalizations and fatalities associated with these diseases, thereby improving health and quality of life.

“Vaccine recommendations evolve with emerging evidence. Staying up to date with recommended vaccinations can help you and your loved ones live healthier lives, protected from preventable illnesses.

“This includes staying up to date with all recommended immunizations for children and adults. This is especially important as we are seeing an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles and pertussis (whooping cough), around Canada and the world.

“Beginning this month, British Columbians have access to a free spring COVID-19 vaccine booster to maintain and extend protection for themselves and their loved ones against serious illness. The boosters are available at pharmacies, regional health-authority clinics, some primary-care offices and community health centres.

“On behalf of the provincial government, I want to thank the health-care professionals who provide information to their patients about the benefits of immunizations, administer vaccines and help keep people safe from the spread of diseases.

“I am proud of the actions that people in British Columbia took during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect one another, which allowed us to keep schools open and the economy going. Let's continue with this effort of getting immunized for these reasons and building a healthier, stronger B.C. for everyone.

Learn More:

To learn more about vaccines for B.C. residents, visit: https://immunizebc.ca/

To learn more about routine immunizations and more, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/more/health-features/vaccinations

To read more about expanded eligibility for HPV vaccines, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HLTH0004-000038

To learn more about launch of spring COVID-19 vaccine boosters, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HLTH0036-000506

To read more about National Immunization Awareness Week, visit: https://immunize.ca/niaw