Starting on Monday, the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) will begin booking appointments for a free COVID-19 vaccine.
To start, seniors’ aged 90 and older, Indigenous people aged 65 and older, and Indigenous Elders in the region can book their appointment online or by phone for appointments that will start on March 15.
Booking for your vaccine appointment can be done by calling 1-855-755-2455 or online at: www.fraserhealth.ca/vaccinebooking.
Fraser Health says that translation services are available at the call centre and all of their clinics.
In Delta, the lone clinic announced so far is the Delta COVID-19 testing and immunization centre located at 4470 Clarence Taylor Cres. The location is open from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
During a media conference call on Sunday afternoon, the Optimist asked Fraser Health officials if a North Delta clinic would be opening soon.
Dr. Victoria Lee, Fraser Health president and CEO said a clinic at the North Delta Rec. Centre would be opening in the coming weeks.
“There is a Delta location in South Delta that will be available for immunizations starting on March 15. We received the concerns and suggestions that Mayor [George] Harvie highlighted from the municipality and we have been working with our partners to see if we could make one of the North Delta facilities work. We are confident that we will have the Rec. Centre in North Delta available in the coming weeks,” said Lee. “In the mean time, there are options in the Surrey area as well as South Delta.”
Harvie told the Optimist that he is pleased that a letter he sent to Fraser Health as well as Premier John Horgan last week urging that a North Delta clinic be opened, was well received.
“I’m glad they listened and took that into consideration,” said Harvie. “I have directed our staff to meet today (Sunday). Our staff will be taking steps immediately to ensure it is available at a moments notice.”
For a full listing of the current clinics see: www.fraserhealth.ca/vaccineclinic.
Fraser Health says they will be using a combination of small, medium and large clinics located across its 20 communities. Mobile outreach teams will be used for homebound population using home health and home support to receive immunization in their home.
“As B.C.’s vaccine program continues to expand, our capacity will expand with several clinics opening by mid-April,” said Fraser Health in a news release. “Fraser Health is starting with 22 clinics available to book appointments, spanning across our region. Planning for these clinics is based on population size, patient experience, our diverse population and efficiency. While every community might not have a stand-alone vaccine clinic, each will have access to multiple clinics for safe and effective vaccine delivery. We want to ensure there are options for as many people as possible. Seniors will have choices of where they wish to have their vaccine.”
According to Fraser Health, starting on Monday, the health authority has the capacity to immunize more than 9,000 people per day, which will more than meet the demand of this phase.
“We are well underway in planning to deliver over 23,000 immunizations a day for Phase 3,” added Fraser Health. “Fraser Health will be monitoring the volumes at our sites and will flex clinics up or down to meet our communities’ needs. As more groups become eligible for the vaccine, they will be provided with instructions on how to book an appointment.”
