Give Aurora pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic, councillor tells Region of York

Region will consider request but it comes in midst of 'immensely' busy time with constantly changing resources

Yorkregion.com
March 26, 2021

Aurora Coun. Rachel Gilliland is hoping to convince the Region of York to set up a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic in town.

The facility would operate occasionally as vaccine supply and demand dictate.

Both the Aurora branch of the Royal Canadian Legion at 105 Industrial Pkwy. N. and Northridge Community Church at 15338 Leslie St. have said their facilities could host pop-up clinics. Volunteers from the legion, the church, the Aurora Optimist Club, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Rotary Club of Aurora said they will help.

While the region is providing daily vaccinations at centres in Newmarket and Richmond Hill, some Aurora residents, especially seniors, find it difficult to travel out of town, Gilliland said.

“To me, it just seems obvious to have something in each town and spread it out a bit,” she said.

“The residents are asking for it. They’re saying ‘Why isn’t there one in our town that’s a little bit closer, that’s more convenient for us?’ Especially when you’re dealing with a lot of the elderly.”

Clearly, the demand for vaccinations is high, Gilliland said.

“I have spoken to some residents 80-plus who still have not been able to get an appointment,” she said.

“Obviously, there are challenges getting their bookings in.”

Legion president Lori Hoyes said the facility would be pleased to host pop-up clinics, pointing out it is accessible and used to accommodating seniors and has experience hosting blood donor clinics.

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Patrick Casey, the region’s director of corporate communications, said the region is considering Gilliland’s request amid an “immensely busy time” for public health as it operates mass vaccinations for residents in an environment of constantly changing information and resources.

“Our current efforts have been concentrated in successfully opening public-health-led clinics. We have multiple static sites in York Region which draw upon many resources to operate, from immunizers, to clinic co-ordinators, to logistics and supplies,” he said.

“Our staffing resources are being further stretched through our mobile clinic efforts to reach our elderly immobile and homebound populations. We are currently assessing our capacity to deliver pop-up clinics in locations outside of our existing clinics. The timing for these remain under review.”

The region is requesting the community’s patience as it continues to roll out vaccines across the region ahead of provincial targets and as it prepares for the arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be distributed to pharmacies, including those in Aurora, Casey said.

“We have noted the sites Coun. Gilliland has previously suggested and will communicate widely if or when we arrive at a plan to open a static, mobile or pop-up clinic in the town of Aurora,” he said.

Meanwhile, the region will open a drive-thru vaccination centre at Canada’s Wonderland next week, Casey added.

Gilliland would welcome any vaccination presence in Aurora and said her proposal for a pop-up clinic may not be needed when the province gives approval for York Region pharmacies to deliver vaccines.

But until that happens, she said having a pop-up clinic in Aurora makes sense.