Sun Peaks to get second-dose COVID-19 vaccine clinic

Residents of Sun Peaks will be able to get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the community after all. 

Interior Health Authority (IHA) will hold a second dose clinic in the community on July 15 and 16. 

The health authority originally asked residents to travel to either Barriere or Kamloops to receive their second dose, citing the need to streamline the vaccine rollout process. 

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality Mayor Al Raine said that he’s happy with IHA’s decision and that he highlighted the importance of having an in-community vaccine clinic during weekly meetings with IHA officials. 

“I did have a chat with them and said, ‘Hey, this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me. We’re trying to do everything possible to make it easy for people to have a vaccination, and we know we had 700 people here in the first round [who were vaccinated at the Sun Peaks Centre in May],'” said Raine.

Raine added that some in the community may not have access to transportation, and having the option of getting vaccinated in Sun Peaks makes things easier for workers. 

In an email to Sun Peaks Independent News, Laura Bantock, executive director of the Sun Peaks Community Health Centre, said people will be invited to book their second dose appointment through the provincial system—which is known as the Get Vaccinated provincial registration system—after day 49 from their first dose. 

There are three ways to register for the Get Vaccinated system:

1. Online by visiting the provincial website at www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca
2. By phone: 1-833-838-2323
3. Or in person at a Service BC office

If you’ve registered once, you do not need to do so again. Individuals who have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine but who have not registered, should complete the Get Vaccinated registration process.

Bantock said that the in-community clinic is a good thing for the community and that she also advocated for it.          

“We have people here who cannot travel, no public transportation etc.,” she said. “It makes more economic sense to be able to receive healthcare in the community you live in, just like any other small community in this health region.”  

Bantock encouraged residents to go forward with their second dose. 

“The sooner everyone is vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to a more normal lifestyle and the sooner our communities will be protected,” she said. 

“The vaccines are safe, if you want authentic information on vaccines visit a credible organization like [the BC Centre for Disease Control or IHA] or consult with your physician for more information,” she said. 

Those who still need their first dose of the COVID-19 can also do so through the Get Vaccinated system and receive their vaccination at the forthcoming clinic.