Drive-thru vaccinations not ‘feasible’ in Saskatoon: SHA

Instead of a wait inside a heated car, many people across Saskatchewan were left waiting for their booster shots in the cold Monday.

More than 100 people waited at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon alone, half an hour prior to the doors opening. It may have begged the question of why the drive-thru options have changed at this stage in the pandemic.

Jenny Cushon, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s vaccine section chief for Saskatoon, was asked that very question by Brent Loucks on Tuesday morning.

“Well, we don’t have the space for a drive-thru at the moment. So, (it) just wasn’t feasible right now with this weather,” she explained.

The wait times Monday were between four and five hours for the better part of the day, leaving many standing outside in the cold waiting for their boosters.

It wasn’t just at the doors where individuals flocked to for their booster doses Monday. Premier Scott Moe also tweeted a figure of over 32,000 also who booked their boosters online.

Yesterday, I was one of 32,337 Saskatchewan people who booked their COVID-19 booster dose appointment.

Early data is showing that the Omicron variant is more contagious and will result in more cases in Saskatchewan in the coming days.

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— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) December 21, 2021

Cushon stressed the importance of rolling up your sleeve with the threat of the Omicron variant.

“It’s very important that you get that booster for protection. There’s lots of options … the Saskatchewan Health Authority website … you can look for walk-in options. There’s still bookings, of course,” she said. “There’s also a long list of pharmacies that are offering boosters as well.”

Earlier in the vaccine drive, individuals who were administered with the AstraZeneca vaccine were given the option of receiving a “travel dose.”

The travel dose — or doses — allowed them the ability to enter countries that didn’t recognize the non-RNA vaccine as being vaccinated.

Cushon said that dose may be recognized as a booster, under specific circumstances.

“If you received a travel dose … if (the vaccination) was more that three months between that second and third dose, you’re considered boosted,” she explained.

“If it was less than three months between that second and third dose, you should still seek out a booster then.”

Cushon said the health authority is anticipating a strong demand for booster shots well into January.

“We are adding clinics where we can. I would just recommend that people keep checking the website for those opportunities,” she said.