Door prizes, live music at B.C. vaccine clinic hosting all-night 'Vax-a-thon' this weekend
There will be door prizes and live music at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Surrey, B.C., this weekend during a so-called "Vax-a-thon" that's scheduled to last more than 24 hours.
Health officials are hoping to administer approximately 7,000 first doses of vaccine during the immunization blitz, which is being held at the Guildford Recreation Centre on 105 Avenue.
The event begins at 11 a.m. Saturday and "transitions into an overnight Mask-erade" at around 8 p.m., according to Fraser Health.
"Dress to impress by wearing your fanciest mask or come as you are when you attend our nighttime immunization clinic," the health authority said in a news release. "After receiving your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, commemorate the moment by strutting down the red carpet and posing for a picture at our selfie station."
Anyone who is at least 12 years old and hasn't received their first dose can register for the Vax-a-thon in advance or simply show up, said Janice Asistio, manager of the clinic.
"For people who haven’t had their first doses, they can just come right up here and we will vaccinate them on the same day. There is no need for them to make an appointment,” said Asistio. “As a shift worker myself, I thought it was a great opportunity for people who don't get a chance to come to clinics during regular business hours, so we're open all night."
The health authority also encouraged people to celebrate Father's Day by arranging to get a shot at the clinic with their dad on Sunday.
"It's so important because you're not only protecting yourself, but you're protecting the people around you,” Asistio said. “The end of the pandemic is near and the more people that get vaccinated, the more protected we are as a community."
Earlier this month, the government of Manitoba announced a vaccine lottery offering nearly $2 million in cash prizes and scholarships as an incentive for residents to get immunized against COVID-19.
At the time, B.C. Premier John Horgan said he didn't believe such programs would be necessary in his province.
"I don't want to jinx it, but I do believe that we can get to our objectives without incentives," Horgan said, adding that "if it comes to that, we're not going to rule that out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.