An estimated 5,000 doses were administered in Kingston, Ontario. home vaccination clinic – Kingston | The Canadian News

As Kingston addresses the nation’s highest COVID-19 case rates, KFL & A Public Health is hosting a series of in-car vaccination clinics before and after the holidays. The first was held Saturday at St. Lawrence College.

“We are in a difficult situation because of how rapidly the omicron variant is spreading,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Health Officer.

With an estimated 5,000 doses expected to be administered, the self-service clinic saw cars line up as the day progressed, eventually overflowing from the St. Lawrence College parking lot to nearby Portsmouth Ave.

“The volunteers were here at 7:30, people were already getting vaccines preparing for the event. I think the start time was 8:00. So an early morning start, but a lot of people showed up – great turnout, ”Dr. Oglaza said.

With Christmas just around the corner, more than 100 volunteers joined the spirit of giving by donating their time to help the clinic run smoothly.

“We’ve had a number of people volunteering from different sectors,” said Dr. Elaine Ma. “Just to say ‘I want to be able to do something active,’ just to help. I think it has been a very positive day both for the people who help and for those who receive their vaccines. “

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With lines as long as they were, hitting the 5,000 dose benchmark was never in doubt.

But the reason there is such demand is likely due to the omicron variant and how quickly it has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Kingston.

“This is something that people can do to protect themselves. People can get that third dose. The third dose will provide an additional layer of protection, ”Dr. Oglaza said.

The health unit plans to host several more clinics as Christmas approaches, including one Monday, Wednesday, and then another on Boxing Day.