The mass vaccination campaign in Prince Rupert, B.C., and the nearby community of Port Edward is ahead of schedule, organizers say.
The clinic opened Monday but already those in their 40s will be able to book their appointment Tuesday and could receive their dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the week.
The Prince Rupert Civic Centre has been transformed into a vaccination clinic with the capacity to administer doses to 1,300 people a day.
If vaccinations continue according to plan, the port city could become one of the first in Canada to see all eligible residents immunized.
The clinic is being operated by Northern Health with support from the BC Centre for Disease Control, First Nations Health Authority and 400 volunteers who live in Prince Rupert.
Northern Health officials have said a community approach is needed because Prince Rupert has high COVID-19 case and positivity rates that have not reflected recent improvements seen elsewhere in the region.
Earlier this month, the province said it would use recently acquired doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to target COVID-19 outbreaks and clusters.
Several European nations have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over concerns about blood clots.
On Tuesday, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization said there is now enough “real-world evidence” to show the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective for seniors.
— With files from Amy Judd