Vaccinations don't stop on Christmas Day in London, Ont. thanks to people like Nancy Forbes
CBC
A group of dedicated public health care workers is giving up part of Christmas Day to keep the largest vaccination centre in London, Ont. open, making it one of the only clinics running in southwestern Ontario.
Their reasons are varied, but for Nancy Forbes, who will be tasked with the finicky job of logging information needed for provincial records, it's simple. She needs to help.
"I know there are a lot of young people working at the clinic with families and I wanted to make sure they could spend the time with their kids, and I can do my part to help the community at the same time," Forbes said on Christmas Eve, another day on the job.
The Middlesex London Health Unit's program coordinator of 34 years came out of retirement after only nine months in February 2021, just before the second wave hit. She's been working in various vaccination centres in the London area ever since.
Twenty-one other people will be at the Agriplex Saturday, including doctors and nurses. It's one more day on the job after a relentless two years.
"Some of the staff have been working six or seven days in a row. There was a period where I was doing doubles because that's what was needed," Forbes said.
Forbes might have been the person who answered your call to book a booster this past week when eligibility expanded to include everyone 18 years and older. She says it was tough because there were 80 people in the queue on Monday morning, and spots were snapped up before the phones even opened.
But she says the tough days are quickly overshadowed by the good days, like earlier this week when she thrilled a family of six by getting them all in for shots at the same time.
"A good day is helping people get extra protection and knowing that I'm doing my part so they stay healthy. That's really important for me to be doing."
Appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine in Middlesex-London are booked up for the next four weeks, with new appointments being added at 7 p.m. daily. Some vaccination spots will open up as some people are able to get an earlier vaccine at a participating pharmacy and cancel their MLHU booking. To book an appointment, visit their website.
Western Fair Agriplex
Caradoc Community Centre in Mount Brydges
Pharmacies
The health unit is reopening its COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic at the Earl Nichols Arena on Jan. 6, following a surge in demand for booster shots and vaccines for children aged five to 11.
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