VICTORIA -- While thousands of doses of a Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine are expected to reach B.C. in a matter of days, Island Health likely won’t receive doses until early 2021.

B.C. health officials say that the first shipments of the vaccine will go to two sites in the Lower Mainland, one in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and one in the Fraser Health Region.

According to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, the vaccinations must be administered directly where they are delivered, so health officials have chosen these two Lower Mainland sites based on current needs.

Other areas of the province are expected to receive the vaccine as more doses arrive in early 2021. The plan is for the two sites to be expanded to nine across the province, before eventually expanding to 30 in the spring.

B.C.’s head of the new Immunize BC Operations Centre, Dr. Ross Brown, says that vaccine distribution will be "slow, steady and nimble at the beginning and ramp up as vaccine becomes available."

Health officials are planning to administer the first shipments of the vaccine, which contain close to 4,000 doses, to health-care workers before expanding to residents of long-term care homes.

As more immunization doses arrive, other essential workers, British Columbians over the age of 80 and those who may be in living conditions where COVID-19 can spread easily — such as homeless shelters — will be next in line to receive the vaccine.

B.C.’s health minister noted that the distribution of the vaccine is not an indication of one’s value in society, and was based simply on data and recommendations by health professionals, federal guidelines and other experts.

"Right now, we’re focusing on saving lives," said B.C.’s top doctor.

Henry added that she expects that close to 400,000 people will be immunized in B.C. by the end of March.

She stressed that initial doses of the vaccine will not be enough to curb the transmission of COVID-19 in B.C. and that everyone must continue to follow provincial health orders until greater amounts of the vaccine arrive.

Further details on B.C.’s vaccine roll out plan can be found here.