Pop-up clinic at PNE aims to make COVID-19 vaccination convenient
People enjoying the summer sun at Playland on Saturday had the opportunity to get a first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine with their visit.
Vancouver Coastal Health held its latest pop-up immunization clinic at the Pacific National Exhibition's main entrance from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which time officials hoped to administer at least 250 shots to people who dropped in.
"This is the first time that we've had a pop-up clinic at Playland," said Bonnie Wilson, the health authority's operations director for COVID-19 vaccination in Vancouver.
"We've got a great partner in the PNE, so we're really excited to be here today. We want to have clinics in places where a lot of people come. They're having a great time in the summer and we're just sort of pairing that up with being able to get the vaccine."
Wilson said the goal of the clinic - and the others like it that Vancouver Coastal Health has held so far - is to meet people where they are and reduce barriers to immunization. Admission to Playland was not required to access the clinic.
She named technology challenges and busy schedules as some of the barriers that have kept people in Vancouver from getting vaccinated, and said the health authority has received positive feedback about the convenience of past clinics.
"We're planning more of these pop-ups in popular areas where people are going to enjoy summer activities," she said. "We really encourage everybody to come out, get immunized, and enjoy the summer."
Though the pop-up clinics prioritize first doses, anyone who has gone at least seven weeks since their first dose can get a second at the walk-in events.
As of Friday, 80.3 per cent of British Columbians ages 12 and older had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 58.1 per cent of people in that age group had received a second shot.
In Vancouver's Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood, where the PNE is located, 87 per cent of people 12 and older had received a first dose as of July 22, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.