Mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic hitting the road in Sudbury
A mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic could soon be coming to a neighbourhood near you thanks to a collaboration between the City of Greater Sudbury and Public Health Sudbury and Districts.
No appointments will be required and the bus will be on the road between Tuesday and Sunday for at least the summer months.
"The purpose of the bus is for us to take the vaccine and meet people where they're at," said Karly McGibbon, a public health nurse. "So we've done great work with the large, mass immunization clinics at the local arena, so that's been a wonderful start. Now, what we want to do is reach populations that maybe can't get to a clinic."
The bus plans to hit neighbourhoods and small towns where the need is greatest. It'll hit areas around the city, as well as Chapleau, Killarney, and Manitoulin Island.
Mass clinics in the city, for the most part, aren't seeing the large lines or numbers they once were at the height of the vaccination period. Officials are hoping this might help to entice some of the hesitant.
"The mass clinics are slowing down, which is to be expected. It means more people are vaccinated, so the demand for the mass centres is less. So now what we're doing is changing it up a little bit," she said.
The move also comes amid a push from the province to get hospitals out of the vaccine business and to keep it with public health and primary care practitioners.
The mobile clinic will work the same as the mass clinics. People who approach the bus will be greeted by staff and get signed in. Once they enter, they'll be escorted to a seat and put through the COVAX system.
Participants will receive their shot, wait 15 minutes to monitor for any adverse side effects, and then be allowed to leave.
Officials are warning people, with it being 'first come, first served', if interest is high, they may not be able to get to everyone.
"A success would be for us to immunize one person that otherwise would not have been immunized," McGibbon said. "So people who come on the bus from let's say Capreol, who say 'well, I can't get to town because I have mobility issues...' that's a success for us, reaching the people that we otherwise wouldn't have been able to reach."
"I think the mobile bus will make it very equitable for folks to come out and get a vaccine when they've experienced barriers. So I think it will be a game-changer in terms of reaching those folks for sure," said Melissa Roney, deputy chief of emergency services.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts started with their pop-up clinics last weekend. Roney said it's very important that they get out into the community, even further than what's being done.
She has wondered about vaccine hesitancy with the diminishing lines at mass vaccination clinics but is hopeful most are still planning on having a two-dose summer.
"I think there's many factors and I think bringing it a little closer makes it more convenient, reduces or takes down whatever barrier it is, whether that's mobility or hesitancy and they'll come out and get their vaccine quick," Roney said.
The pop-up clinic at Moonlight Beach on Sunday saw more than 200 people attend.
The mobile vaccine clinic hits the road on Monday and Public Health Sudbury and Districts has planned stops for Sudbury, Copper Cliff, Capreol, Azilda, and Onaping the first week.
The vaccination rates of residents in the Sudbury district are higher than the Ontario average.
As of Sunday, 78.5 per cent of residents ages 12 and older have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to 77.3 per cent province-wide. A total of 57 per cent of residents ages 12 and older have received second doses as opposed to 48.4 per cent Ontario-wide.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.