Mobile clinic provides COVID-19 vaccinations at Edmonton encampments

Chrissy Dachuk was pleased to come across avan outside Boyle McCauley Community Centre offering COVID-19 vaccinations.

A grandmother with asthma who has already gone one round with coronavirus, Dachuk was anxious to be fully protected.

Within minutes, she was at the front of the line, screened and injected.

"I'm really happy and I'm going to let people know that they're here," Dachuk told CBC News, as community members milled about, socializing and coming in and out of a nearby encampment.

"It's so important because there arenot a lot of people that will even just leave this area to go get it. They don't leave here at all a lot of the elders. So for somebody to be able to come here and do this for everyone, it's great."

The program launched by Boyle McCauley Health Centre has delivered 1,736shots since April.Moving from shelter to shelter, this week theytook the vaccination campaign on the road.

Staffed by nurses, the mobile clinic has reached dozens more people in encampments on city streets and in the river valley.

"Not everyone's really comfortable all the time being in the shelterand as the weather is nicer, people are outside so we're going where they are," saidJackie Liu, spokesperson for Boyle McCauley Health Centre.

Licensed practical nurse Sabrina Anderson says they've received a warm welcome and even invitations inside tents from those wanting vaccinations.

"They're very, very grateful which is so nice to see," said Anderson. "A lot of our patients now qualify for their second dose and they're so excited."