Drive-thru flu shot clinic available in Kamloops

A local medical has created an innovative way to ensure that residents have a safe and accessible way to get a flu shot this year.

Orchards Walk Medical Clinic, which is run by STEPS, has opened a drive-thru flu shot clinic at its location just off Hwy 1 in Valleyview.

“Serving the over 8,000 patients at the clinic, the drive-thru provides a safe and fast way to get the important vaccination,” said a release issued by the clinic.

“The lessons learned from this innovative clinic will then be shared with other organizations looking to do flu shot clinics, and be used in the future once a COVID-19 vaccine is available.”

Orchards Walk says a flu shot is especially important this year with the COVID-19 pandemic into its second wave.

The drive-thru option allows for increased safety for both staff and patients, as people can stay in their vehicles and have limited contact with those giving the shots.

“Although the weather has been unseasonably cold, we were still able to process a significant number of patients over the multiple flu shot clinics we are running,” said Christine Matuschewski, executive director of STEPS.

“Our goal is to keep our team and patients safe, and the drive-thru is ideal for minimizing contact for our patient population including vulnerable people.”

Matuschewski explained that the inspiration for the idea came from similar vaccination clinics in Australia.