DAWSON CREEK -- Vaccine clinics continue to be available across the Peace Region to encourage vaccine uptake.
Immunization rates went up by 2-percent in the Peace River South region over the last 7 days.
As of Tuesday, 65-percent of their population recieved a first dose of the vaccine, but it's a very different story when looking at urban versus rural numbers.
Dawson Creek has a 68-percent vaccination rate where as rural Peace River South is significantly lower at 56-percent.
Peace River North is showing a vaccination rate of 68-percent and also up 2 percent in a week.
In Fort St. John, 74 percent of eligible residents have had at least one dose, however its the rural areas that are really dragging overall number down.
Barely half of those people have had one shot and that number plummets to 42-percent for those who are fully vaccinated.
Northeast B.C. has seen the biggest COVID-19 uptake since September compared to the rest of the province, the vaccine passport made a big impact on increasing immunization rates.
The health authority is using education as a first response to vaccine hesitancy and they say they’re doing everything they can to try to increase vaccine uptake in rural areas.
“People might not come to town all the time, people may have not yet decided they need to get the vaccine or they just haven’t come in to do that yet,” said Tanis Hampe, Vic President, Pandemic Response, Northern Health.
“It's consistent with other rural and remote areas around the province.”
Hampe says the best way to help your community increase vaccine uptake is educating your family, friends and neighbours.
