VICTORIA -- Vancouver Island will receive a unique Christmas gift as health officials say early next week the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will cross the Strait of Georgia.

According to Island Health, a small shipment of vaccine will arrive on Vancouver Island early in the week of Dec. 21.

"We will probably be getting two trays of vaccine, which will be 975 doses," said Island Health's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Richard Stanwick.

"We anticipate that next week we will be in the same position as the Fraser and Vancouver Health Authorities," he said.

Today, in a historic event, the first British Columbians will roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The first batch will be given to Lower Mainland health-care workers who work in long-term care homes and other health-care workers essential to the COVID-19 response, Dr. Bonnie Henry explained last week.

According to Island Health, the next step in getting the vaccine here is quickly identifying locations where the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be kept at ultra-low temperatures.

"We've been told to identify three sites. One north, one central and one south," Stanwick told CTV News.

"And so, at this point, we have identified major centres that have the ability to keep this vaccine at -70 (Celsius)," he said.

Once the vaccine arrives on island shores Dr. Stanwick says the roll out will follow B.C. Centre for Disease Control guidelines.

The first wave of vaccinations will target long-term care home and frontline health-care workers on Vancouver Island.

At first, being vaccinated will require those eligible to travel to secure sites where the vaccine can be kept at required temperatures.

Island Health hopes that over time, other vaccine strains will allow for more widespread immunizations in different locations.

The island's top doctor says that as more at-risk populations are vaccinated, they will eventually start tasking pharmacists and family doctors with the mass vaccination of the general public.

Stanwick expects that by summer 2021, most Vancouver Islanders will be able to schedule a vaccination date.

It's expected that, if vaccine supply remains high, any Vancouver Islander who wants a COVID-19 immunization will be able to get one by fall 2021.