Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccination bus touring post-secondary institutions

By Luis Armando Sanchez Diaz, September 20 2021—

A COVID-19 vaccination bus –– the government of Alberta’s effort to increase vaccination uptake across the province –– has reached the University of Calgary and is scheduled to arrive at other post-secondary institutions all month.

During the early days of September, a mobile clinic was available for U of C students, staff and community members to get their COVID-19 shot at the main campus on Sept. 1, 8 and 9 while Foothills campus saw the arrival of the bus on Sept. 2. 

This initiative comes after the Government of Alberta, 19 to Zero and several enterprises — labeled as the Industry for Vaccination — came together to offer more accessibility for those that want to get vaccinated. 

“The clinic’s focus is on rural communities, hard-to-reach populations, or those working in remote camps where vaccinations may be less accessible, or uptake may be low,” reads a statement on the 19 to Zero webpage.

According to the CTV news vaccination tracker, 78 per cent of eligible Albertans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose as of Sept. 12. However, younger generations have had the lowest vaccine uptake not only in Alberta but in Canada as well. 

The latest data from the COVID-19 Tracker Canada notes that only 55.16 per cent of Albertans between the ages of 18 to 29 have been partially or fully vaccinated. 

The bus clinic will be available for those living in the Calgary area on Sept. 17 at the Centre for Newcomers and on Sept. 22 and 23 at Mount Royal University.

Those currently in Edmonton can access this service from Sept. 13 to 17 at NorQuest and MacEwan University as shared on social media by the Government of Alberta.

It is worth noting that international students are also eligible to get the vaccine through the mobile clinic or at another location.