Vaccine supersite marks first anniversary

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/01/2022 (1521 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tuesday marked one year since the Keystone Centre COVID-19 vaccine supersite began immunizing Brandonites against the coronavirus.

The supersite officially opened its doors on Jan. 18, 2021. Located in the Manitoba Room, it featured 21 vaccination stations and was the second-largest vaccination site in the province, just behind Winnipeg’s RBC Convention Centre site.

The first people to receive vaccines at the Keystone Centre were health-care workers from Shared Health’s Westman Laboratory. They were deemed the most vulnerable due to the nature of their work.

At the time, the site aimed to administer 4,000 shots a week. There have been some challenges to meeting that goal, most notably vaccine shortages.

Since then, more than 123,000 vaccine shots have been administered, according to Shared Health. It has co-ordinated countless other pop-up clinics at community sites all over the city of Brandon and helped to co-ordinate hundreds of rural clinics in the Prairie Mountain Health region, a spokesperson stated in an email.

“We have had the privilege to be part of many special and emotional moments,” said Jane Skinner, regional manager for Prairie Mountain Health COVID vaccine sites.

After the health-care workers, vaccines were given to elders in the community, and many from that age group travelled long distances during the winter. When those who were middle-aged came through in the spring and early summer, there was an air of hope as people looked forward to some sense of normalcy for the summer.

When the 12- to 17-year-olds became eligible, parents crashed the provincial booking website in a rush to get appointments for their kids.

The most enthusiastic group, she said, has been the five- to 11-year-olds.

“They were so happy to finally be included,” she said. “You will see the evidence on our walls of all the great reasons our youth have for getting their shots, as we have posted kids’ creations and responses all over our clinic walls.”

Mixed emotions have passed through the site’s doors, ranging from happy and relieved to anxious and scared.

Staff try their best to accommodate patients and provide education, said Heather Duncan, lead clinic manager at the Keystone Centre supersite.

“We work hard to staff our clinic to meet the changing volumes and needs of people coming, and we also work hard to communicate any changes the government has made to vaccine eligibility so that all staff feel informed and work as a team,” she said.

She gave credit to leads in Prairie Mountain Health and Shared Health, as well as professional staff at the Keystone Centre for their support, explaining they help with day-to-day requests very quickly. As well, MAXX Security has been so helpful, identifying those who have accessibility needs and making sure they are looked after, she added.

“And we have fantastic staff, from both Shared Health and Prairie Mountain Health, who work at our clinic — who come each day with a smile on their face and a common goal to vaccinate our community,” she said.

On behalf of Prairie Mountain Health, Skinner stated she sincerely appreciates and acknowledges all of the staff, including those who have come out of retirement or who have been reassigned from other regional programs to help administer vaccinations or perform navigating roles over the last year.

The Brandon supersite is open two to three days a week and takes anyone who needs their first, second or third doses. Visit the PMH website or social media to follow clinic schedules.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com, with Brandon Sun files

» Twitter: @karenleighmcki1