B.C. health officials say mixing mRNA vaccines is safe, effective

British Columbia's provincial health officer is encouraging anyone who is offered a different COVID-19 vaccine than the one they first received to take it.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says fluctuating vaccine supply means if you received Pfizer-BioNTech, you may be offered Moderna for your second shot, or vice versa, and she says health officials are confident both vaccines are safe, effective and interchangeable.

Dr. Henry made the comment as she announced a sustained drop in new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and clusters.

She says 56 new infections were confirmed Tuesday and there were no new deaths.

There were 1,150 active cases of whom 111 people were in hospital, including 41 in critical care.

Dr. Henry says more than one million people have been fully vaccinated in the province and about 77.7 per cent of adults in B.C. have received their first dose.