Northwest BC revaccination campaign

People who received a vaccine from the Terrace Health Unit, Stewart Health Centre, Mills Memorial Hospital emergency department, Terrace-area pharmacies or Northwest-area First Nations clinics between October 2022 and September 2023, may need to get revaccinated.

In October 2023, Northern Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control investigated uncertainties regarding the temperatures vaccines at the Terrace Health Unit were stored at between October 2022 and September 2023.

Northern Health Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Jong Kim is recommending some individuals who received vaccines between October 2022 and September 2023 be revaccinated. The affected vaccines were administered at the Terrace Health Unit, Stewart Health Centre, Terrace-area pharmacies and clinics in Kitsumkalum, Kitselas, Iskut, Gitlaxt’amiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Gingolx, Laxgalts’ap, Gitanyow and Gitwangak.

Receiving a dose from the impacted vaccine supply is not considered to be a risk to a person’s health, but it may mean they didn’t get the full benefit to their immune system, if they received an impacted (potentially non-viable) dose.

This recommendation is limited to specific lot numbers, based on where and when vaccines were stored, and not everyone who received vaccines at those facilities will need to be revaccinated. No COVID-19 or seasonal influenza (flu) vaccines were affected.

In December 2023, Northern Health and the First Nations Health Authority began contacting each person (or their parent or guardian, if they are a minor), who will need to be revaccinated. Affected individuals will be contacted by phone and by mail. A Registered Nurse will review each affected individual’s case with them, and provide recommendations and information. Once the nurse has reviewed that person’s case, they will have an opportunity to book a revaccination appointment.

If you have not received a phone call or letter, and believe you should have, email NHAPublicHealthResponse@northernhealth.ca and public health staff from Northern Health will follow up with you. Please do not include personal health information such as your personal health number (PHN) or date of birth, until you are contacted by public health staff.

Special revaccination clinics began at the Terrace Health Unit in late January, and will continue as long as needed.

Affected immunizations

Not every person who received these vaccines between October 2022 and September 2023 will need to be revaccinated. The recommendation is limited to specific lot numbers of vaccine, depending on when and where they were stored.

The following is a list of vaccines affected by the Northwest BC revaccination campaign (click the links for more information about the individual vaccines and the diseases they prevent):

*Rotavirus vaccines are not recommended for children older than eight months. Letters with more information will be sent to the parents or guardians of children who are now too old to be reimmunized with Rotarix.