Residents in Thames Centre who still need to get the COVID-19 vaccine won't have to travel very far for the shot next week.
The Middlesex London Health Unit has announced a mobile community vaccination clinic will be set up at the FlightExec Centre in Dorchester next Friday and Saturday. The clinic will operate each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is expected to see the shot administered to roughly 400 people.
“While there is currently limited capacity for this type of clinic, this pilot will help assess whether the community clinic approach will be appropriate for the next phase of the vaccine campaign," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie.
Currently, there is only one mass vaccination clinic located in Middlesex County at the Caradoc Community Centre in Mt. Brydges. The other two mass vaccination sites are located in London at the Western Fair Agriplex and the North London Optimist Community Centre. A fourth clinic is scheduled to open next week in London at the Earl Nichols Recreation Centre.
Thames Centre Mayor Alison Warwick noted mobile clinics like the one coming to Dorchester are "extremely important" to rural areas where residents may be unable to drive the distance to clinics in the city.
"It’s by getting the vaccination numbers up and maintaining low case counts that we can get back to our normal activities,” said Warwick.
Appointment bookings for the Dorchester pop up clinic opened Thursday morning. Residents of Thames Centre and Middlesex County who want to schedule an appointment at the clinic can do so online at www.covidvaccinelm.ca and enter Gate #8 –Community Clinic or by calling 226-289-3560 between 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Sunday.