A group of regional health officials in B.C. advised the University of British Columbia in mid-February that vaccine mandates, passports, and segregated lockdowns may do more harm than good—advice that appears to be at odds with provincial health officer Bonnie Henry’s stance. In a letter to University of British Columbia (UBC) President Dr. Santo Ono on Feb. 16, health officials from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) urged the university to drop its plan to de-register students who did not declare their COVID-19 vaccination status or comply with mandatory testing. Co-signed by VCH’s chief medical health officer Dr. Patricia Daly and three other medical officers, the letter argued that the Omicron variant has rendered two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines ineffective at preventing infection or transmission of the virus, though they remain effective at preventing severe illness. “Therefore there is now no material difference in likelihood that a UBC student or staff member …