Photo by Whitehorse Star
Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost
Centralized flu clinic to close two weeks early
With the uptake for the flu vaccine slowing, the mass clinic at the Whitehorse Convention Centre will reduce operating hours beginning Friday.
With the uptake for the flu vaccine slowing, the mass clinic at the Whitehorse Convention Centre will reduce operating hours beginning Friday.
As of last Saturday, 14,000 Yukoners had been immunized against the flu.
Flu inoculation will continue to be provided for adults through participating pharmacists in Whitehorse, the Yukon government said Wednesday.
Pharmacists are not able to provide immunizations for children under five years of age.
Consequently, there will be two Wednesday evening clinics on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, for children under five.
Rural clinics will continue as planned.
“This year’s flu clinic has been a huge success, as we have seen the highest number of Yukoners immunized against the flu since 2009,” said Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost.
“With the demand for flu vaccine slowing, we can comfortably accommodate anyone else at the pharmacies. With this reduction in clinic hours two weeks earlier than planned, staff can be redeployed to support COVID-19 efforts.”
The mass flu clinic opened Oct. 26 and had been intended to run until Dec.17.
Pharmacists are not able to provide immunizations for children under five years of age.
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Comments (3)
Up 7 Down 6
Matthew on Dec 3, 2020 at 8:48 pm
As of last Saturday, 14,000 Yukoners had been immunized against the flu
So shouldn't all 14K be subject to a mandatory 2 week quarantine as they have just injected themselves with a live virus into their body?
After all the flu killed 8511 Canadians in 2018.. but you also gave the virus to 14,000...
Surely I'm not the only one who finds this contradicting..
Up 8 Down 2
SheepChaser on Dec 3, 2020 at 6:05 pm
Great, so there’s research into the idea that a particularly deadly strain of the flu is letting loose this year. That this winter might be a lot worse than expected.
Do any of our grant-funded Yukon scientists have anything to say about this or are they busy mapping snow and writing more funding applications?
Up 6 Down 1
Charlie's Aunt on Dec 3, 2020 at 4:16 pm
Nice to find out about this on the last day of the clinic. I'm sure YT didn't just decide this today so could have released info earlier.