The air in the waiting room at Kingsway Community Clinic feels different this October. Gone are the tense expressions of uncertainty that defined pandemic-era medical spaces. Instead, there’s a casual normalcy as patients flip through magazines and check phones. But Dr. Marianne Wiebe, who has practiced family medicine in East Vancouver for 15 years, sees concerning patterns in her appointment schedule.
“We’re already seeing an uptick in respiratory infections,” she tells me as we sit in her office after hours, the autumn rain tapping against her window. “And it’s still early in the season.”
Yesterday, British Columbia health officials issued their strongest advisory of the fall, urging residents to receive both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines before the expected winter surge in respiratory illnesses. The announcement comes as hospitals across the province report increasing patient visits for respiratory symptoms.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer, emphasized that this year’s updated vaccines are specifically designed to target currently circulating variants. “The reformulated COVID-19 vaccine addresses the JN.1 variant family that’s now dominant in B.C.,” she explained during the press conference. “Getting vaccinated remains our best defense against severe illness and hospitalization.”
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, last winter saw the convergence of multiple respiratory viruses—COVID-19, influenza, and RSV—creating what some called a “tripledemic” that strained healthcare resources. This year, officials aim to mitigate similar pressures through proactive vaccination.
For Elders in Indigenous communities, this preparation carries particular weight. In Bella Bella, along B.C.’s central coast, community health representative Sarah Wilson has been coordinating vaccination clinics for the Heiltsuk Nation.
“Our community remembers what happened during previous waves,” Wilson shared in a phone interview. “We lost knowledge keepers. That trauma isn’t gone just because the emergency phase of the pandemic ended.”
The Heiltsuk Nation implemented some of the most effective COVID-19 protections in the early pandemic, including community checkpoints and strict isolation protocols. Now, their approach balances protection with cultural healing.
“We’re hosting vaccine clinics alongside cultural activities,” Wilson explained. “It becomes about wellness and community care rather than just responding to a threat.”
Back in Vancouver, pharmacist David Chen at Rexall on Commercial Drive has noticed changing attitudes toward seasonal vaccination. “During the height of the pandemic, there was this urgent anxiety driving people to get vaccinated,” he said. “Now we’re seeing more hesitancy, even among people who were first in line before.”
This vaccination fatigue concerns health authorities, especially as immunity from previous doses wanes over time. The latest provincial data indicates just 37 percent of eligible British Columbians received their COVID-19 booster during the 2023 fall campaign—significantly lower than earlier vaccination phases.
Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that this year’s campaign aims to make vaccination more accessible than ever. “We’ve expanded pharmacy participation and created a simplified online booking system,” he said. “Eligible residents can now receive both vaccines simultaneously, making protection more convenient.”
For vulnerable populations, including older adults and those with underlying conditions, this timing matters. Fraser Health Authority has already documented small outbreaks in several long-term care facilities since September.
Emma Watkins, a 72-year-old resident of New Westminster, contracted COVID-19 during the original Omicron wave despite being double-vaccinated. The experience left her with lingering fatigue that took months to resolve.
“I don’t want to go through that again,” Watkins told me while waiting for her dual vaccination appointment at London Drugs. “My daughter keeps telling me about ‘COVID fatigue’—not the symptom, but how everyone’s tired of hearing about it. But for people my age, we can’t afford to pretend it’s completely over.”
Public health messaging has evolved to reflect this complex reality where COVID-19 remains present but no longer dominates daily life. The provincial advisory emphasizes personal risk assessment rather than universal mandates.
Dr. Wiebe believes this individualized approach makes sense but worries about how it affects collective protection.
“When we frame vaccination solely as personal choice rather than community responsibility, we see lower uptake,” she explained. “But the reality is that higher community vaccination rates protect everyone, especially those who can’t get vaccinated or don’t respond well to vaccines.”
For parents like Michael Truong, navigating these decisions feels increasingly complicated. His 7-year-old son attends elementary school in Surrey, where classroom illnesses spread rapidly.
“During COVID, the rules were clear—mask, distance, vaccinate,” Truong said while picking up his son from school. “Now it feels like we’re on our own to figure out what’s best. We definitely plan to get him vaccinated, but I understand why some parents feel uncertain.”
The B.C. health advisory also highlighted practical prevention measures beyond vaccination: staying home when sick, improving indoor ventilation, and considering masks in crowded indoor settings during peak illness season.
As British Columbia prepares for winter, the messaging from health officials strikes a balance—acknowledging pandemic fatigue while reminding residents that preventive health measures remain essential tools, not relics of an emergency past.
The rain continues falling outside Dr. Wiebe’s office as we conclude our conversation. She looks at her schedule for tomorrow—filled with routine checkups, chronic condition management, and yes, several vaccine appointments.
“The pandemic emergency ended,” she says, gathering her notes, “but our need to protect each other didn’t.”
