Thousands line up at Fraser Health COVID-19 'Vax-a-thon'
As soon as Fraser Health’s “Vax-a-thon” clinic opened Saturday at 11 a.m., people began lining up to get their shots.
“I wasn’t expecting this long a line-up, but it’s probably good news that there’s this many people wanting to get the shot,” said Kevin Langley, who was waiting in line for this second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s good there’s demand.”
The Vax-a-thon runs for 32 hours straight at Surrey's Guildford Recreation Centre, and Fraser Health hopes to give out 7,000 doses.
“If we have people that want to come in and get a first dose, and we’re getting close to that number, we will make sure that we don’t turn any first-dose people away,” said Christine Mackie, co-lead for the Vaccine Co-ordination Centre for Fraser Health.
“We have a plan for 7,000 doses. If we need more vaccine, we will get more vaccine especially for first-dose folks.”
Anyone interested can come by. No appointments are necessary. The idea is to make sure anyone who wants a vaccine can get it.
“If it gives the opportunity for people who haven’t been able to get in because of life circumstances, then fantastic,” said Mackie. “Maybe people will have that time at midnight and one in the morning.”
Two members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra were performing Saturday afternoon for the crowd outside the clinic.
“That was the first time we played for people in probably a year,” said Larry Knopp, principal trumpet for the orchestra. “The one thing we’ve been missing is playing for large audiences.”
He and Vincent Vohradsky, the orchestra’s second trumpet, played a duet until they were both invited to get their second doses.
“This is actually a little bit of a surprise,” said Vohdrasky. “We were playing out front and they said that if we wanted we could get on the list to get our second dose today and I was like, ‘Sign me up.’”
He said the orchestra has done many virtual performances on the concerthall.ca platform, but it’s really looking forward to playing for people in a live setting again.
“It’s really great to see how many people are out there,” he said. “Just society resuming some sort of normalcy is what I’m most looking forward to.”
Knopp said he’s hoping to be back on stage in just a few months.
“I’m hoping in September enough people will be vaccinated (and) we can have regular concerts at the Orpheum,” he said.
At the Vax-a-thon, there are more events planned to keep everyone energized throughout the night, including a DJ, masquerade and other performances.
“We wanted to wrap some fun around this,” said Mackie.
On Sunday, for Father’s Day, the team is encouraging families to come get their vaccine together.
“If you want to come in with the kids, whoever needs to be done, we’re here to deliver those first doses and keep driving those immunization numbers up,” she said.
Each of B.C.’s health authorities has a vaccination rate above 60 per cent for first doses.
Mackie said working on the vaccine program will be “the privilege of (her) career.”
She said everyone who arrives at the Vax-a-thon is excited and positive, giving great feedback to staff as well.
“From the beginning of this, it’s just an absolute pleasure,” said Mackie. “The staff have had an exceptional amount of praise and it’s just such a nice feeling for them to be able to help their communities.”
The Vax-a-thon is on until Sunday at 7 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.
Canada's favourite sport to watch is hockey, survey shows
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have already delivered a fever level of fan excitement in Canada.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.