Flu shots have joined the ranks of drive-through services available in Canada. Ontario's Middlesex–London Health Unit made this possible Oct. 18 by offering a drive-in clinic in its parking lot. It allowed people of any age who are frail or immunocompromised, or use wheelchairs, walkers or canes, to receive their flu shot without leaving their vehicle.
Mary Anne Simpson, the unit's manager of vaccine-preventable diseases, says the service was offered because previous in-office clinics attracted few people who used assistive devices such as wheelchairs, even though all locations were wheelchair accessible.
The drive-through clinic proved popular. One elderly couple, who arrived in a cab, haven't been able to find a new family physician since theirs closed his practice 2 years ago, and last year they missed their injection. Public health nurse Kaylene McKinnon says the couple was “so grateful” for the drive-through option.
Appointments were required for the service, with 4 vehicles scheduled every 15 minutes. Of the 76 appointments available, 66 were filled. A total of 119 people were immunized, including caregivers and drivers.
Although this type of clinic has yet to make major inroads in Canada, it has been part of flu-fighting efforts in the US since at least 1995, when the Veterans Medical Center in Dallas first offered the service. In London, those arriving on the cool, damp day parked under a tent-like covering, which provided shelter from the drizzle and wind. After reading an information sheet, signing a consent form and being assessed by a public health nurse, visitors received their injection. A 15-minute wait was required before leaving.
Injections were usually given through a rolled-down window or open door, but in some cases the nurse entered the vehicle. Twice, they had to stand on the running boards of large trucks.
Simpson says the nurses had no difficulty adapting to the drive-through concept. “Everybody wants to do it again next year,” she says. “They really loved the day. And we've had nothing but positive comments from the public.” — Lynne Swanson, London, Ont.
Figure. Lynne Swanson receives her drive-in flu shot from nurse Lynn McTavish. Photo by: Countryside Memories