(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Dawson Thompson

Pop-up Clinics

SHA finalizing plans for pop-up vaccine clinics in Prince Albert area

Jul 27, 2021 | 3:51 PM

Prince Albert residents can expect to see pop-up vaccine clinics at various venues across the city in the coming weeks, including retail locations and recreation areas.

Paul Ross with SHA Primary Health Care said Prince Albert, like many cities, has seen a decline in the uptake of traditional clinics and drive-thru clinics for mass immunization.

“That’s mainly attributed to the percentage of our population that is currently vaccinated,” Ross said. “We’re trying to refocus and better utilize our resources to get to the people that need it and make it as easy as possible.”

Seventy-four per cent of those 12+ have received their first dose and 62 per cent of those 12+ are fully vaccinated in the province as of July 27. Ross said the number of vaccines in the younger population are a little lower than the higher age groups, so that’s part of the demographic they’re trying to attract.

“We’ll be looking at some retail locations, recreation areas and sporting events, summer venues, post-secondary campuses, community centres and some of the community-based organization offices as well.

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“We’re trying to bring the vaccine to where people may be.”

Ross said a clinic set up at the Farmers Market downtown for a few weeks had been fairly successful.

The exact locations of the future pop-up clinics have not yet been finalized but will be advertised once a schedule is built.

As of August 8, the province’s schedule system for vaccinations will be shut down and the mass immunization clinic at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre and the drive-thru location north of town will no longer be operational. Ross said the Prince Albert Grand Council’s walk-in clinic at Senator Allen Bird Memorial Centre is expected to continue.

“They’ve been doing some outreach pop-ups as well, so we’ll be partnering with their organization to make sure our pop-ups and outreach clinics are seamless in terms of staffing as well as their locations,” Ross added.

Now that the demand for immunization has dropped, public health will look at resuming some of the services offered pre-COVID including child health clinics and youth immunization programs.

“It’s a new chapter in our COVID response plan so I think its great news,” Ross said.

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Dawson.thompson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @dawsonthompson8