With more Albertans eligible, vaccine appointments take off

By ALEX McCUAIG Special to the News on May 7, 2021.

Albertans are pulling up their sleeves and getting vaccinated with tens of thousands of appointments being booked following Thursday morning’s opening of eligibility for those born in 1991 or before.

More than 100,000 Albertans booked appointments on the first day of widened eligibility criteria and the numbers are expected to climb even higher starting Monday when those 12 years old and up will be able to join the queue.

More than 3 million residents will be eligible for the vaccine come Monday and 1.7 million have already received at least their first shot.

According to Hat pharmacist Greg Bueckert, the experience can be emotional for those who have lived with the anxiety of the past 15 months.

“The vaccine does provide hope to people,” said the owner of Greg’s Remedy RX. “There is a lot of anxious people waiting to get their vaccination and get their life back because this is really affecting people.”

He says he does field questions from those interested in getting the vaccine but remain hesitant. And those questions are regarding long- and short-term effects as well as side effects but, “the benefits of the vaccine by far outweigh the risks,” said Bueckert, calling those risks, “minimal.”

It’s not just the city which is seeing high demand with Liam Hirch at Bow Island’s Apple Drugs.

“For us, we’ve got a lot of interest in vaccinations and currently, we’ve got quite the waiting list,” said Hirch. “We’re just triaging the eligible people the best we can and just trying to get as many shots into arms as quickly as we can.”

Hirch says some of the supply bottlenecks are expected to loosen up in the coming days but the increase in eligibility may keep things tight.

Like Bueckert, Hirch says he does come across those hesitant about receiving the shot but, “I don’t see many people who after a conversation with me are deciding not to get it.”

In addition to local pharmacies, the vaccination clinic at Higdon Hall on the grounds of the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede continues to offer vaccines, which can be booked online or through the 811 Health Link phone line.

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