Mass vaccination clinic aims to give 2,500 doses over the next couple of days

Greater Sudbury's Carmichael Arena was bustling with physically-distanced activity today, as the local health unit was setting upits first mass vaccination clinic.

The clinic opens tomorrow and will be used tovaccinate long-term care home staff and essential caregivers, as outlined in Ontario Government'svaccinepriority sequencing.

Public health nurseKarlyMcGibbonsays it's a relief to see it come together.

"We're so excited ... it's the start of the end and it's certainly not going to be perfect, but it'sa step in the right direction to end COVID. And so we'reso excited that the vaccine is here and we're able to to get these people vaccinated."

Over the next two days Public Health Sudbury and Districts is aiming to vaccinate about 2,500 people.

In the last few weeks, the health unit has administered roughly 1,700 vaccines and the clinic is expected to more than double that number.

"That's kind of our target, and we're hoping to meet that. People have been invited to come to the clinics, and they've booked appointments."

Plenty of arrows,caution tape and signs are strategically placed throughout the arena to help guide people when they come through for vaccinations.

"We also have a ton of staff members," McGibbon said.

"We have volunteers, we have bylaw officers, we've got paramedics. So it's a great big community effort. People will be ushered through in the directions that they need to go. It's all very regimented. You check in, you get your vaccine, you wait, you check out and you go."

McGibbon says they are following the vaccination "sequencing" from the province, thoughit's tweaked a little bit at the local level based on what the region's needs are.

"But things are definitely in priority sequence."

Today Ontario announced new details of its vaccine rollout for residents aged 60 and older.

• Third week of March Vaccinations start for those 80 and older.
• April 15 Vaccinations start for those 75 and older.
• May 1 Vaccinations start for those 70 and older.
• June 1 Vaccinations start for those 65 and older.
• First week of July Vaccinations start for those 60 and older.

Essential workers could receive shots in May if supply allows but the government is still deciding who will be in that group. High-risk groups, including health-care workers who work directly with the public and Indigenous adults, will receive shots throughout.

McGibbon notes they'll be using the Pfizer vaccine for this particular mass vaccination clinic.

"The Pfizer vaccine is stored at -80C at HSN. And so we will pick it up in the morning. We'll bring it here. We mix it and then it's ready to go."

As a seasoned vaccination nurse, McGibbonsays she is accustomed to giving vaccines to a lot of children.

"And of course, we don't make any friends," she said with a laugh.

"But this is a different experience.People are so happy to be vaccinated. They're looking forward to it. And it's a great feeling. It's amazing. It's great to be part of it."