Alberta pilot will see 10 doctors’ offices administer COVID-19 vaccines

Starting next week, 10 physician clinics across Alberta will begin a pilot project to administer COVID-19 vaccines to their patients.

To start, each clinic will get 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine, the province said. The pilot will look at the best ways to transport, book and administer the vaccine through these clinics.

“Since the start of the pandemic, community physicians have worked hard to support and protect their patients.

“This pilot is another step forward,” Health Minister Tyler Shandro said in a news release on Wednesday.

“Albertans will now have another way to receive their COVID-19 vaccines from an important part of our health-care system.”

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Alberta Health has been working with the Alberta Medical Association and Primary Care Network physician leaders to integrate community clinics into the provincial vaccine rollout, the government said.

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There will be two participating clinics in each AHS zone during the pilot project and clinics will be contacting patients who are eligible for vaccination.

“Albertans have a strong connection to their family physicians and look to them to help inform important decisions about their health, such as vaccination,” Dr. Paul Boucher, president of the AMA said.

“The vaccination of all eligible Albertans is a monumental task and leveraging all our collective resources will be essential in getting this done efficiently.”

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The pilot project begins Monday. Based on the learnings from the project, the government hopes to include more clinics in May.

As of April 12, more than 970,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered.

According to the news release, the province is on track to offer all adults their first dose by the end of June.

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