BARRIE -- In a parking lot where you would typically hear the theme park's sounds, Canada's Wonderland is now home to York Region's first drive-thru immunization clinic, which is now available to anyone over 70 with a pre-booked appointment.
"We have an entrance and a separate exit; we have staff at Wonderland that have really helped planning out the clinic to make sure it's efficient," says Lucy Valleau with York Public Health.
"They are helping out with line management and security because they have lots of experience."
One hundred cars were booked to go through the clinic on Monday, but the plan is to provide up to 1,600 vaccinations a day in the weeks ahead using modified transit buses with storage facilities on board.
"We have a freezer, we have a fridge its been wonderfully retrofitted to meet the needs of an immunization clinic; we have a loading station where nurses can load the vaccine," says Evelyn Tenyenhuis with York Region Public Health.
More than 120 thousand residents have received at least one vaccine dose, including 77 per cent of people over 80 and 58 percent of people over 75.
The drive-through clinic will operate seven days a week if enough vaccine is available.
"They will immunize you while you are sitting in your car, (and) after you have been immunized, then you go to the observation centre, a big space where we have RN's (registered nurses) out there observing you for 15 minutes to make sure you are OK, then off you go," says Valleau.
Public health officials are asking everyone who is planning to use a drive-through clinic not to bring their pets along in the car. Appointments must be made through York region public health.
