Walk-in COVID-19 immunization clinics for 12 to 17 year olds now open in Calgary
The province is making it easier for younger Calgarians to get a COVID-19 vaccine, in an effort to increase immunization rates.
Two walk-in clinics opened Wednesday, at the Telus Convention Centre and Genesis Centre sites for the eligible population ages 12 to 17, and no appointment is needed.
“We know that summer was always going to be a slower time for vaccines as people are going to be doing other things but we will continue to push as much as we can to get those numbers up,” said Alberta health minister Tylers Shandro.
Youth born in 2004 to 2009 are eligible to receive their first dose of Pfizer followed by a second dose at least 28 days later.
According to Alberta Health, 74.8 per cent of eligible Albertans 12 and older have received one dose, as of July 19.
And 60.2 per cent of Albertans age 12 and older are fully vaccinated.
The second dose rate for the youngest eligible Albertans is behind other age groups.
Currently, 62 per cent of 12 to 14 year olds have their first dose, and 39.7 per cent have received their second dose.
A total of 65 per cent of 15 to 19 year olds have one shot and 44.4 per cent of that age group is fully vaccinated.
“We do know that we’re never going to get to 100 per cent. We know from our seasonal flue campaigns that we are doing better than we do typically with vaccinations in Alberta, we’re doing better than other countries are doing,” said Shandro.
Shandro says the province will continue to announce innovative ways to increase first and second doses.
He adds there is obvious vaccine hesitancy but public health officials want to target those who are undecided.
“It’s the folks in the grey area that haven’t had first or second doses yet that I think we can reach out to," he said.
Shandro says the province was focused on speed and volume but now want to make sure that access isn’t an issue for anyone and to educate the public on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
The walk-in clinics are open from July 21 to July 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The province says those attending the clinics are asked to bring parental consent, which can be downloaded from the Alberta Health Services (AHS) website
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.