Details are in place for a drive-thru vaccination location in northeast Calgary, and now a walk-up mass clinic for up to 5,000 people.
The COVID-19 vaccination rate disparity in Calgary’s north and east have been concerning to public health officials in recent weeks. They’ve been examining barriers to improving vaccination rates.
A drive-thru clinic was announced last week, and now details are in place for its opening.
Beginning June 7, the Deerfoot North Immunization Drive Thru clinic at 911 – 32 Avenue NE will be open by appointment only. Appointments will be offered from 8:20 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. Up to 1,000 appointments can be scheduled each day.
According to AHS, this has been the site of COVID-19 testing and assessment. It will be open seven days a week, they said.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said earlier this week that this additional work in the city’s northeast needed to be ramped up.
“We’re starting a series of temporary vaccination clinics. I would like to see that massively expanded. I want to see clinics at five o’clock in the morning when people are on their way to shift work. I want to see them at 10 o’clock at night, as people are coming home,” he said.
Mass vaccination clinic
On Wednesday, the province also announced a walk-in mass vaccination clinic at a northeast Calgary leisure centre.
For June 5 and 6, up to 5,000 Calgarians can receive a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Village Square Leisure Centre between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. over those two days.
The province said they want to reduce barriers to accessibility and will have materials available in 70 languages.
“I am pleased Alberta’s government and community partners are ensuring residents in hard hit northeast Calgary have greater access to COVID-19 immunizations,” said Calgary-North East MLA and Minister of Community and Social Services, Rajan Sawhney.
“This new opportunity to receive a vaccine is a major step towards removing barriers that have held many people back from better protecting themselves and their loved ones.”
No appointment is necessary for these vaccines. Attendees are asked to bring valid identification and an Alberta Health Care card, if they have one.
Ward 5 Coun. George Chahal has been a vocal proponent of better vaccine accessibility in northeast Calgary.
“I have advocated for easier access to vaccines because only widespread vaccination will allow us to get back to weddings, birthdays, festivals, and all the in-person events that make life special,” Chahal said.
“This clinic will bring us one step closer, and we need more of them.”
The province has been operating two other AHS clinics in northeast Calgary since March. They’ve delivered more than 85,000 vaccinations, they said.
