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By Shaun Penner

Walk-in Jabs

Walk-in AstraZeneca vaccines available at Grande Prairie immunization clinic

Apr 21, 2021 | 11:01 AM

Walk-in doses for those eligible to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are available for the next week in Grande Prairie.

Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement during Tuesday’s update on COVID-19, saying Alberta Health Services (AHS) will be opening up walk-in clinics in all Health Zones beginning April 21.

The AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine is being made available to all Albertans born in 1981 or earlier. Walk-ins can head to the Rapid Flow Clinic in Grande Prairie at the Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from April 21-28.

Doses are limited and will be made available to those eligible on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Currently, walk-in appointments are only available for the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Grande Prairie Rapid Flow Clinic,” says an AHS spokesperson, in a statement to EverythingGP. “Please note there may be longer than normal wait times for individuals accessing walk-in appointments.”

AHS adds they did see an increase in appointment bookings for the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Grande Prairie clinic on Tuesday, after the province lowered the minimum age to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine from 55 to 40.

They also “strongly” encourage people to book an appointment ahead of time using either the AHS online booking tool, or by calling Health Link 811.

“This guarantees you a spot, and ensures that there is a dose for you.”

Walk-in sites in Lethbridge, Camrose, Red Deer and Fort McMurray will also open on Wednesday. Brooks and Medicine Hat will have their own walk-in clinics opening on Friday.

As of Monday, approximately 107,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have already been given out in Alberta.

Over the next 10 days, appointments have been booked for another 67,900.

A key problem, Kenney notes, is that the version of AstraZeneca Canada is using comes from India, whose government is prioritizing the immunization of its own people.

“We only have about 160,000 doses of AstraZeneca remaining right now, and we don’t know when our next shipment will come in,” said Kenney. “So, if you’re over the age of 40, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity before supply runs out.”

Last week, Moderna announced that its shipments to Canada are being cut in half for the next couple of weeks, impacting around 64,000 doses. Pfizer, on the other hand, is expected to drastically increase their supplies.

Kenney stuck by his government’s prior commitment to ensuring that every single adult in the province will be able to get some level of protection against COVID-19 by the end of June if they choose to do so.

(With files from David Opinko / Lethbridge News Now)