COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens at Waterloo’s Health Sciences Campus

Today, the Health Sciences Campus Clinic for COVID-19 vaccination opens at the corner of King and Victoria in downtown Kitchener. This large clinic, led by the Centre for Family Medicine, is an integral part of Region of Waterloo’s vaccine rollout strategy. It will run from March 15 until the end of August and will ramp up to be open seven days a week when a steady supply of vaccines is available.

All vaccination clinics in Waterloo region are by appointment only. Residents who belong to one of the eligible priority groups, including the 70+ age group, can pre-register for the vaccine on the Region of Waterloo website.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Region of Waterloo to partner with the University of Waterloo and the Centre for Family Medicine to bring another vaccination clinic to Waterloo Region,” said Shirley Hilton, Deputy Chief for Waterloo Region Police Service and head of the Waterloo Region Vaccine Distribution Task Force. “This large clinic will make it easier to get more vaccines into more people’s arms as quickly as possible.”

The clinic is a testament to the strong collaboration and dedication of health-care providers and administrators throughout the Region. Several core partners support the clinic including the Region of Waterloo Public Health, the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre, the Andrew St. Family Health Centre, McMaster University and the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.

"I am so proud that the University and our School of Pharmacy are partnering with the Centre for Family Medicine and Region to meet the challenge of vaccinating our community,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “I am grateful to the team of Waterloo faculty members, students and employees for their efforts to help our region. The University will continue to find other ways to partner with the Region on the rollout of vaccines as our entire community works together to overcome COVID-19."

A resident receives their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy clinic which opened March 15 in partnership with the Region of Waterloo.

Over the course of the pandemic, the School of Pharmacy has provided more than just a convenient location for a clinic. Students, alumni, faculty and staff have served patients on the front lines in community pharmacies, hospitals and more. Professor Kelly Grindrod has been a go-to resource for media, creating popular COVID-19 educational materials, and serves on the Waterloo Region Vaccine Task Force.

“So many people have dedicated hours of their time to get the clinic up and running. It has truly been a team effort,” said Dr. Joe Lee from the Centre for Family Medicine. “We are fortunate to be working with tremendous partners, and together we’ll strive to vaccinate our community as safely and quickly as possible.”

Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students are eligible to administer COVID-19 vaccinations under Phase Two of Ontario’s vaccine rollout plan. Many School faculty, staff and students have registered to support the vaccination campaign, and some are already actively engaged with the vaccine task force or delivering other timely projects like developing injections training materials.

“The School of Pharmacy has embraced this opportunity to contribute to our local community,” said Andrea Edginton, Hallman Director of the School of Pharmacy. “Planning and implementing this clinic on a tight timeline has been a challenge and was made possible by the steadfast commitment and exceptional work ethic of many people at the Centre for Family Medicine, the School, the University and the Region. I am proud of how we have come together to be a part of the solution.”

Eligible priority groups can pre-register for the vaccination at the Region of Waterloo website. Please do not call the University of Waterloo Health Services clinic for vaccination appointments.

The University of Waterloo is committed to continue working with the Region to explore ways to support vaccination rollout.