As the number of vaccinated people in New Brunswick goes up, the rate at which people are getting vaccinated is going down. The province in now inching very slowly towards its public health goal of 75% of eligible people vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
That means the hardest part of the vaccination effort could still be ahead, says Corner Drug Store owner-pharmacist Charles Beaver.
“The large numbers of people and difficulty managing the volumes are over,” he says. “Now, this is almost even more important work, really, because we need to fill in the gaps of folks that didn’t get a first dose yet, or have yet to receive their second dose.”
With the presence of the more easily transmissible Delta variant, and higher case counts in New Brunswick, “it’s more urgent than ever that that folks act now,” says Beaver.
This Thursday, Corner Drug is open again to walk-in vaccinations. The clinic will have Pfizer vaccine on hand to administer to those with or without an appointment.
As of August 10, there are also appointments available at the Jean Coutu pharmacy in Sackville, the Village Pharmacy in Port Elgin, and Pharmacie Memramcook in Memramcook.
The Vitalite Health Network has also scheduled another mass vaccination clinic at the Tantramar Civic Centre in two weeks time, on Thursday August 26.
Beaver says he is also coordinating with Mount Allison University to make sure arriving students have an opportunity to get vaccinated.
“There’s several dozen international students arriving that will be finished isolation in another week to 10 days,” says Beaver, “and then we’ll be able to start the vaccination process.”
Vaccinations are open to all, says Beaver. “If someone has an NB Medicare card, it’s great to bring it along. And if they don’t, either because they might have lost their Medicare card or are from a different jurisdiction or country, it doesn’t matter,” says Beaver. “We can take care of everyone. So all should feel welcome.”
Beaver says there are still people coming to Corner Drug to get a first dose of vaccine.
“It’s summertime,” says Beaver. “Although I eat, sleep, and breathe vaccinations, not everybody thinks about them all day every day. We have more exciting things to do this time of the year. However we are offering as many convenient times as possible to make it work for anybody, including drop-ins, which really seem to work out well for a lot of folks.”
In the coming weeks Beaver expects to continue to offer drop-in availability, as well as appointments for both Moderna and Pfizer doses. Moderna vials hold 15 doses of vaccine, and Pfizer vials hold six, says Beaver, and clinics are organized to avoid wasting any doses if possible. But that said, Beaver aims to accommodate people’s schedules.
“We’re able to do some vaccination most days of the week,” says Beaver. “If people have a unique circumstance, certainly give us a call, and we’ll do our best to work with what time and availability they have.”
People can book online, or call the pharmacy at 506-536-2255.