Regina drive-through changing to Pfizer and 53-54 age group; bookings to open to 55+ group

The COVID-19 vaccine drive-through at Regina’s Evraz Place is shifting gears.

Starting Friday, the drive-through will be administering doses of the Pfizer vaccine to people aged 53 and 54 only, with possible changes to the eligible age group as demand allows.

The clinic previously was giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone 55 and over.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine be given only to people 55 and over due to the possibility of blood clotting.

The change to Pfizer at the Regina drive-through will allow the Saskatchewan Health Authority to vaccinate people under the age of 55 — a group that hasn’t been eligible before.

The first-come, first-served clinic is to open at 8:30 a.m. and run until 11 p.m. daily.

Health Minister Paul Merriman said the clinic had hit a barrier with AstraZeneca.

“We could not move any of those through the Regina drive-through anymore just because of the 55 limit,” he said. “We had saturated (the age group). Those people that were going to come through the drive-through had been through the drive-through, so we had to change that.”

He said officials moved some of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the booked clinics and Pfizer to the drive-through.

“We didn’t want to have any vaccine sitting on the shelf,” said Merriman.

Regina has been the hotspot for COVID cases in recent weeks, both the original strain and the United Kingdom variant.

“Rapid, mass vaccinations will mean there are different vaccines available at different times, in different parts of the province to support delivery plans,” Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said in a release. “All have been approved by Health Canada and all will prevent serious illness and death caused by COVID-19.”

Vaccination booking system changing

Starting Friday at 8 a.m., Saskatchewan’s vaccine booking system eligibility will expand to everyone 55 and over. The eligibility had been at 58 and over.

People can book appointments online or by phone at 1-833-SASKVAX.

Everyone 50 and over living in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District, all remaining Phase 1 health-care workers, people in group homes and shelters, and people with underlying health conditions who are clinically extremely vulnerable also can book appointments by phone.

Drive-through and walk-up clinics for people 55 and over also continue to operate around the province. Those AstraZeneca clinics currently are operating in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Humboldt, Kindersley, Lloydminster, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Warman, Weyburn and Yorkton.