Massive COVID-19 vaccination clinic closes in Vancouver, health authority to focus on smaller sites

Vancouver -

A massive COVID-19 vaccination clinic where thousands of shots were administered closed its doors over the weekend.

The clinic at the Vancouver Convention Centre opened in late March and was a hub of vaccine distribution in the city. Vancouver Coastal Health closed the clinic on Aug. 29 as the authority's focus is shifting to smaller community clinics and pop-up vaccination sites.

In the months the clinic was open, thousands of vaccine doses were administered. By late May, the clinic reached a milestone of administering more than 100,000 shots.

Residents in the health authority can still get vaccinated at clinics in their community and most operate by drop-in. Registration and booking are still recommended, however.

Several pop-up clinics are operating in Vancouver and a permanent clinic still runs at the Italian Cultural Centre, seven days a week.

In North Vancouver, along with some pop-ups, a clinic operates at the ICBC Clam Centre at 255 Lloyd Ave. until at least Sept. 18.

Richmond's long-standing clinic at the River Rock Casino will continue operating until at least Sept. 18.

A full list of vaccine clinics across the health authority is available online. 

As of Monday, B.C. health officials said, just over 84 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and older had received at least one COVID-19 shot. More than 76 per cent were fully vaccinated.