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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.