A neighbourhood vaccine clinic will be offering walk-in shots next week for New Westminster residents.
The Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-op is hosting the COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday, Aug. 17 from noon to 6 p.m. It’s at 715 Carnarvon St., downtown.
Anyone who hasn’t yet received their first dose of COVID vaccine is welcome to walk in and do so without an appointment. Second doses will also be administered as capacity and supplies allow.
The Anvil Centre mass immunization clinic has wound up operations, so New West residents in search of vaccine must now rely on neighbourhood clinics or travel outside the city. (Clinics are added on an ongoing basis. For a full list of clinic options, see Fraser Health’s site.)
Fraser Health is also inviting community groups or associations to contact the health authority if they are interested in hosting a vaccine clinic. Any group who wants to do so should use the online contact link at Fraser Health’s clinic webpage.
The most recent available B.C. Centre for Disease Control data (as of Aug. 3) shows New Westminster with a first-dose vaccination rate of 86% (for all eligible people aged 12 and up). Second-dose vaccination stands at 73% for those aged 12 and up, 75% for those aged 18 and up, and 81% for those aged 50 and up.
Many local residents who have been waiting for their invitations to book a second dose could see those notifications coming sooner than expected.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Aug. 9 that the interval between doses is being reduced from 49 days to 28 days, in light of rising COVID-19 case counts in B.C. Those residents who don’t live in high-transmission areas and who aren’t in higher-risk workplaces are still being encouraged to wait a longer interval between doses to ensure longer-term protection.
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