COVID-19: Walk-in vaccination clinic’s at Parc-Ex places of worship prove to be successful

Walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinics are finding success in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood.

The line to get vaccinated at the Shree Ramji Mandhata Temple on Friday morning stretched down the block. Almost four hours before it even opened, dozens of people were on hand.

“It’s way above our expectations,” said CIUSSS West-Central Montreal Associate CEO Francine Dupuis.

The walk-in clinic is open for only two days, Friday and Saturday.

The regional health authority admits getting to this point has been difficult. Vaccination rates in Parc-Extension are rising, but the area is still one of the lowest on the Island of Montreal.

“Here the percentage of vaccination has gone from 20 per cent to 33 in a few weeks,” explained Dupuis. “So the objective is to increase that percentage even further.”

In comparison as of May 25, 65 per cent of residents of Baie-D’Urfé and 64 per cent of residents of Pointe-Claire had already received their first dose.

For more diverse communities, there are many obstacles when it comes to getting vaccinated, but officials are finding that clinics held at places of worship, where no appointments are needed, have been popular.

“The best way is to make sure that we have places where people feel safe, where they know that they will be able to actually have people answer them in their mother tongue,” said Giuliana Fumagalli, the borough mayor for Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension.

Translators ensure those getting the shot who don’t speak English or French understand complex health details and are able to ask questions.

Meanwhile, the familiar location within walking distance was what drew others like Janak Patal to the temple.

“I live in the neighbourhood and we come often to the temple with this part of the community here today,” he said.

After waiting an hour in line, Patal even admitted it probably would have been easier to book an appointment online, but that would mean he wouldn’t get vaccinated with his community.

While hundreds of his fellow community members showing up on the first day is encouraging, it also complicates the rollout because of the limited number of vials available.

“I will try to give as many as I can, we have vaccines for two days. I wouldn’t want to send people home without being vaccinated so I’m going to do everything I can to avoid that scenario,” Dupuis said.

Although health officials have had to put more effort into the vaccine rollout in Parc-Ex, the approach seems to be working.

Dupuis said she’s confident they will be able to increase the percentage of people vaccinated in the borough, even if at a slower pace.