By Amy Ramsay

People flock to rapid flow vaccination centre

Apr 15, 2021 | 4:47 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Now that one million COVID vaccines have been delivered to Alberta, the province is working on increasing the number of people being vaccinated.

Alberta has around 18 per cent of the population vaccinated with at least one shot, but with rapid flow vaccination centres like Higdon Hall on the Stampede Grounds, people can get their COVID vaccine much faster than before.

Cars flooded the parking lot early Thursday.

Those who had previously booked their appointment were able to walk right up, give their health care number and head right in.

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Some people CHAT News spoke with say this process is much faster than the previous one.

“Everybody just went up and down the isles and then you had to give your Alberta health care number and then you got in right away so it was a lot faster.” said one woman.

“It was pretty straightforward and everyone was social distancing and that stuff, so yeah I think it was successful.” said someone who had just gotten their vaccine.

Someone who had an early morning appointment said they were waiting no longer the a half hour.

Others expressed confidence in the vaccine.

“Good, its all good and I recommend it, now I have friends that are against this kind of thing, I think they’re wrong, I think we should all get this.” said one man.

With rapid flow clinics now in place, Premier Jason Kenney says the province is on pace to administer 300,000 doses a week and projects 48 per cent of the population will have protective immunity by the end of May.