Upper Canada Mall hosting pop-up vaccination clinic this weekend

Upper Canada Mall patrons can add a COVID-19 vaccine to their shopping lists this weekend.

The Newmarket mall is hosting a pop-up vaccination clinic Aug. 6 and 7 in partnership with York Region and the Ministry of Health. The clinic will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

“We believe this is an important initiative, and we are happy to partner with our community,” the mall said.

The clinic will be walk-ins only, offering both first and second doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. It will be on the upper level, around the corner of Lululemon.

York Region Public Health is focusing on pop-up clinics in a bid to get more people vaccinated. It announced July 30 that most mass vaccination centres across the region would close by the end of August.

“York Region Public Health is beginning to transition to smaller, mobile and pop-up clinic models to more effectively reach those individuals who have faced barriers in accessing vaccinations, or who have not been vaccinated,” York's associate medical officer of health Dr. Richard Gould said in an Aug. 2 video update. “This approach allows public health to reallocate resources to support mobile and pop-up clinics in even more convenient locations.”

The public health unit has also said it would host more pop-up clinics at schools in the weeks to come.

More information on vaccination locations is available at york.ca/covid19vaccine.