Albertans Can Now Get The Astra Zeneca Vaccine At Walk In Clinics

More than one million vaccine doses have been administered in Alberta

Since the reporting of blood clotting with the Astra Zeneca vaccine, there has been an increased reluctance by communities across Canada to get the shot. This reluctance is even more heightened within black and brown communities. The Federal government has order tens of millions of dosages of the Astra Zeneca vaccine and has since set age restrictions for administering in wake of the reports of blood clotting.

Alberta has seen massive surges in the COVID-19 rates and continues to be hit hard by the new variants. Alberta’s Premier Kenney has been under severe scrutiny for this mishandling of the pandemic and hesitance to put the province into lockdown to mitigate the risk.

As reality starts to since in and the Kenney government sinks further into a recession, his conservatives party is making a desperate push to increase vaccination of the provinces via walk-in clinics. For the first part of the vaccine roll out plan, appointments were necessary.

“Starting April 17, Alberta Health Services will accept walk-ins at the existing rapid flow clinic at the Edmonton EXPO Centre and at the Southport clinic in Calgary. This is in addition to the 26 pharmacies in Calgary and Edmonton offering AstraZeneca vaccines to Albertans aged 55 and over on a walk-in basis.

Any Albertan in this age range, regardless of where they live, can attend these locations to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine without an appointment. Currently, 710 pharmacies continue to offer appointments for AstraZeneca vaccine and the Calgary rapid flow clinic at the Telus Convention Centre will continue to offer AstraZeneca by appointment.

AstraZeneca’s first dose reduces infection by 60 to 70 per cent and, importantly, hospitalization and risk of death is reduced by 80 per cent. With COVID–19 cases rising, it offers protection now for people who would otherwise have to wait about a month to access another vaccine.

More than 27,500 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in Alberta, along with 58,000 doses of CoviSHIELD/AstraZeneca. There have been no confirmed cases of the rare blood clots known as vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) in Alberta, and only one case in all of Canada.” Spokesperson for Kenney

Albertans are more likely to get blood clots from smoking and other health related matters. The walk-in strategy to increase vaccination will be a change in the status quo but one that may ultimately pay off.

More great reading