Vaccination 'drive': Paramedics roll out Middlesex-London's first drive-thru clinic
A first-of-it’s-kind vaccination clinic aiming to serve the hard to reach population of industrial shift workers popped up in northeast London Thursday.
Just after 6 a.m., Middlesex-London Paramedic Services (MLPS) began administering 300 shots of the Moderna vaccine at the region’s first drive-thru clinic.
“Workers on the night shift, they’re stopping here on their way home to get vaccine,” explained MLPS’s Miranda Bothwell.
“It’s amazing, we’re all one big team.”
The pop-up format did not require an appointment, an advantage for shift workers who find it difficult to attend scheduled times at mass vaccination clinics.
“I work 12 hour shifts, so it’s hard, so this is perfect for me,” said Donald Carmichael after receiving his first dose.
The more contagious delta-variant is about to become the dominant strain in Ontario, so the race to double vaccinate people against COVID-19 is shifting into high gear.
The first drive-thru vaccination clinic for Middlesex-London was held at the Cargill Plant on Thursday, June 24, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe / CTV London)
“We have to look at alternatives to ensure those who need shots can get them. It’s about bringing the vaccine to the people,” explained Middlesex County Warden Cathy Burghardt-Jesson as she watched the steady procession of cars.
“The first drive through clinic in Middlesex-London should be celebrated,” she added.
The drive-thru took place in the parking lot of Cargill on Cuddy Boulevard.
Drivers had to wait 15 minutes in their vehicles before leaving.
It was a centralized location for workers in the industrial park, and symbolic of the chicken processing plant’s recovery from a serious outbreak.
The first drive-thru vaccination clinic for Middlesex-London was held at the Cargill Plant on Thursday, June 24, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe / CTV London)
In April, the plant was temporarily closed.
The Middlesex London Health Unit confirmed 116 cases of COVID-19 among the 900 employees of the plant.
On Thursday, Kyle Galloway walked from the plant to get his second dose.
“You don’t have to wait as long for the appointment times, (and) you are coming here anyways,” he said.
Middlesex County will review the drive-thru format as it plans future pop-up vaccination clinics.
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.