Osoyoos resident Ian Nidler has a bone to pick. He, like most Canadians, has done what was asked of all of us with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic over the weeks and months and through all its ups and downs, twists and turns. 

But also like many Canadians, his patience is wearing thin around what he and many others see as the constantly changing goalposts and sometimes obtuse and even seemingly conflicting information being provided by the government and health authorities. 

“The pandemic is a fluid and changing situation always, but nothing ever appeared to be clear enough that I didn’t have to read it more than once or twice. Nothing seemed to fall into the category of being concise,” he says. 

For Nidler, the key bone of contention came with a trip to the Interior Health clinic on 89th St. in Osoyoos. His wife had gotten her notification for a booster shot based on her health condition. Nidler chuckles that it is nothing more than indigestion half a dozen times a year. “That’s her total health situation, she’s as healthy as they come!” he says.

This was frustrating for Nidler as his health is not as good as his wife’s. He then made several calls to see if he could get his booster at the same time only to get conflicting answers, he says. 

“So we went down to the Interior Health facility on 89th in the hope we could have somebody, because of the situation and my health, give me a shot as well.” He credits staff there for being completely understanding and helpful, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get the booster. 

“Even some of the staff there said they wanted to get the booster shots but were not eligible.” But what really got Nidler’s goat was that vaccine doses were being disposed of. 

“They were throwing it out! They were throwing it out and this pissed me off more than anything,” he says in utter exasperation. 

“At the end of the day even though there were people who needed it, who could have had it and of course been taken off a waiting list and made things easier in the future, they ended up throwing out the overstock they had of the product. I’m thinking how many places in B.C. are giving shots and are forced to do the same thing. It makes no sense,” he says. 

He is on the list, he adds but just can’t understand why the process isn’t more flexible and commonsensical enough to enable those who need and want the booster to get it and in the process, help reduce wastage. 

And while the potential impact province-wide is one thing, it bears mentioning that globally there is a desperate need for vaccines, especially among poor countries. Only 51 per cent of the entire world has had at least one vaccine dose, and that number drops to only 4.2 per cent for the poorest countries, according to World Health Organization data.

Times-Chronicle approached Interior Health in Kelowna with questions around Nidler’s concerns. Here is what the health authority had to say:

Q: Under what circumstances are vaccine doses disposed of?

A: Once a vial of vaccine is opened, there is a certain amount of time it must be used before it is considered expired and must then be disposed [of]. For example, Pfizer must be used within six hours of a vial being opened and Moderna must be used within 24 hours of the vial being opened. Each vial of vaccine contains multiple doses and while every effort is made to minimize wastage, there are times when not every dose can be used by the end of the day.

Q: Is anticipated versus actual demand being estimated adequately?

A: Currently, the majority of people who are being vaccinated in our clinics do not have appointments and are dropping in. This makes it difficult to ensure we have the right amount of vaccine available each day for the demand that drops in to get vaccinated. We do follow a number of practices to minimize waste including tracking historical demand by location to help estimate the amount of vaccine required each day. 

Q: What is the current wastage?

A: Our immunization teams have done a great job at minimizing waste in all our clinics. Through the entire COVID-19 immunization campaign, Interior Health has administered approximately 1.25 million doses and has a wastage rate of 1.1 per cent [this amounts to 13,750 doses].

Q: Can you explain why boosters aren’t being given to those wanting them when doses are going to waste?

A: Boosters are only available right now for people who are eligible and by appointment only. The timing of the booster dose is based on the risk level of getting COVID-19, age, and the time since the second dose. People will be invited to book an appointment once they are eligible. More information is available here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/booster.

[According to the website, from November 2021 to January 2022 people most at risk are eligible for the booster and will receive an invitation to book. This includes those born in 1951 or earlier (70+), Indigenous people born in 2003 or earlier (18+). From January 2022 onwards everyone in B.C. is eligible and will get an invitation between six to eight months after the date of their second dose.]