Almost 1,500 vaccines delivered at Métis Nation of Alberta weekend clinic in Edmonton
A temporary Métis-led vaccination clinic in Edmonton helped continue to immunize Albertans against COVID-19.
The Métis Nation of Alberta organized and hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Edmonton Inn and Conference Center from Friday to Sunday.
This marked the second Métis-led vaccination clinic in Edmonton. Several other clinics have been hosted this year across the province by the Métis Nation of Alberta.
Reagan Bartel, director of health for the Métis Nation of Alberta, told CTV News Edmonton that the Métis Nation of Alberta hosted the vaccine clinic as part of an immunization blitz.
“The Métis Nation (of Alberta) has an immunization prevalence of about 63 per cent, so we are a little bit behind the provincial average,” Bartel said. “We really want to create a barrier-free place where folks can feel comfortable to come and receive their vaccine.
“That’s why we are doing this push,” she said. “We’re doing second doses, first doses. Essentially, anybody who is ready to roll up their arms, we are here to provide that service to them today.”
For Bartel, the Métis-led clinic helps to ensure nobody is left behind when it comes to immunity against COVID-19.
The clinic was fully booked on Sunday with 450 appointments. On Friday and Saturday, the clinic had more than 800 appointments.
“We’ve made a big impact, almost 1,500 doses over the three days that we’ve run the clinic,” Bartel said.
Bartel said the clinic helped to create a safe space for Métis Nation members to come together and feel supported as they got their vaccine while also combating vaccine hesitancy. In addition to enjoying cultural music, participants were also treated to a piece of bannock following their shot.
“The mood and feel of the clinic is different,” Bartel said.
“It’s a way to support community,” she added. “For years, Métis folks have been saying we want supports and services from our community.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.