Vaccinations against COVID-19 have all but stalled out, show weekly statistics released by Northern Health covering 40 areas within northern B.C.

Just four of those 40 locations showed an increase in people over the age of 12 getting their first dose for the week ending Dec. 14, a trend that has been growing since late fall.

And in each of those four locations, all in the northeast where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the north and with northern rates below those elsewhere in the province, the increase was just one per cent.

There are scatterings of second dose increases, a natural follow on from those who have received first doses, and the weekly releases are now starting to show third dose numbers.

In B.C., 88.7 per cent of people aged 12 and up have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 78 per cent in Northern Heath as of Dec. 16.

Northern Health含羞草研究社檚 chief medical officer for the northwest, Dr. Raina Fumerton, says it含羞草研究社檚 hard to pin down the reasons why vaccinations have ground to a halt in the north or even why the northern rate, as an average of the population, lags behind the rest of the province.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 been a challenge,含羞草研究社� said Fumerton last week. 含羞草研究社淲e have gotten to a much better place than where we were just a couple of months ago.含羞草研究社�

Proof of vaccination requirements for restaurants, bars, recreation and entertainment have nudged initially-resistant people to get their does as have federal vaccination requirements to get on an airplane.

含羞草研究社淎nd we含羞草研究社檝e worked hard to remove as many barriers to access as we can,含羞草研究社� said Fumerton.

含羞草研究社淏ut we know there is a certain percentage [of the population] that won含羞草研究社檛 get vaccinated.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e still run across people who are hesitant and we含羞草研究社檙e doing everything we can, bending over backwards,含羞草研究社� Fumerton added.

Misinformation spread widely over social media channels is not helping and health officials spend time correcting what people are reading or watching.

Health officials will also spend time explaining the nature of each vaccine option, all but tailoring what will be offered to the vaccine hesitant.

Specific to the north, Fumerton said there could very well be an anti-government attitude at work, something rooted in the desire to be independent of authority.

含羞草研究社淪ome people just don含羞草研究社檛 like being told what to do,含羞草研究社� she said.

But she含羞草研究社檚 at a loss to explain why rates within northern urban areas are higher than northern rural areas.

In what含羞草研究社檚 called the 含羞草研究社楽mithers Town Centre含羞草研究社�, the second dose rate is 82 per cent, 10 percentage points higher than 含羞草研究社楽mithers Rural含羞草研究社�, a circumstance repeated in Burns Lake when compared to both north and south of the village.

含羞草研究社楾errace City Centre含羞草研究社� comes in at 85 per cent having a second dose but in 含羞草研究社楾errace Rural含羞草研究社�, the rate is 79 per cent.

Second dose rates in the northeast are generally lower than elsewhere in the north 含羞草研究社� 63 per cent in Chetwynd, 56 per cent in north of Peace River and 73 per cent in Dawson Creek.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just difficult to know,含羞草研究社� said Fumerton of the disparity between elsewhere in the north. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 difficult to know what we don含羞草研究社檛 know. We could try surveys but I doubt that the people who don含羞草研究社檛 what vaccines would be the people who would fill them out.含羞草研究社�

Some anti-vaccination groupings can be traced back to religious groups who have a mistrust of public health in any event, Fumerton continued.

含羞草研究社淭hese people do look to faith leaders for advice,含羞草研究社� she said.

Still, Fumerton said the COVID-19 vaccination rate among those eligible has outpaced other public health vaccination campaigns.

含羞草研究社淒efinitely higher, it含羞草研究社檚 been pretty spectacular,含羞草研究社� she said.

This is the last week for vaccination clinics within the north with most clinics in most areas opening again the first week of January.

COVID vaccination rates aside, Fumerton did urge that people take advantage of flu shots, noting that they are free and available at pharmacies as well as public health units.

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