COVID-19 vaccines being administered by community paramedics at The Mustard Seed (photo courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Teagan Rasche

'We’ve reduced some barriers'

Community paramedics offering mobile vaccine clinics to where it’s needed most

Jan 25, 2022 | 4:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – One by one, people line up to get their first, second and third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at The Mustard Seed.

This location is one of many that community paramedic Gareth Hughes and his team travel to, helping to immunize vulnerable populations.

“We’ve reduced some barriers,” Hughes said. “We know this population, finances, physical, mental barriers are in place so by us offering this here while they’re down for their food, we are able to get a lot of vaccines administered that previously wouldn’t have been done.”

The community paramedics outreach clinics started back in the fall as a way to reach more people.

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Alberta Health Services works alongside community partners like The Mustard Seed, Salvation Army and Medicine Hat Public Library to make this program a reality.

“It’s been amazing,” Colette Eirich, managing director at The Mustard Seed said. “It’s nice to see our regular guests as well as some of the community come and take advantage of the location here at our community centre spot on Allowance Avenue.”

The clinics at The Mustard Seed happen one to two times a month and last for a couple of hours.

“We know we are doing a lot of vaccinations to people who wouldn’t normally receive them and a lof of these patients do live in congregate settings, so it’s important,” Hughes said.

The health care support doesn’t just end after the needle. Hughes’ team makes sure patients can access their QR codes.

“We do have other resources here from public health that help them set up their account for My Alberta Health and then they can log on to that and through registry or Salvation Army resource centre, they can print out a copy of their QR code,” Hughes said.

Once the bandaid is on and QR code access is accessible, Hughes and his team pack it up. It won’t be long before they’re back offering their service to where it’s needed most.