Vancouver Coastal Health temporarily closed the COVID-19 vaccine clinic in the UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences Building.
After only being open for three weeks, VCH shuttered the only COVID-19 vaccine clinic on campus. But on May 7, UBC Safety and Risk Services (SRS) wrote on its website that the vaccination clinic would reopen on Wednesday, May 12.
According to SRS, VCH entered into an agreement with UBC in late March to host a vaccine clinic in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building starting on March 29. The clinic was expected to run until August 2021, but an SRS notice posted on April 15 said that VCH was pausing operations and would re-evaluate the need to reopen as needed.
Matthew Ramsey, director of university affairs at UBC Media Relations, emphasized that UBC only provided the physical space and that VCH was responsible for operations.
“It’s important to note here that this was not a UBC clinic, but was a clinic operated by Vancouver Coastal Health.”
VCH declined to provide a specific reason for closing the UBC site temporarily.
“VCH regularly monitors and adjusts clinic dates and hours of operation based on appointments, vaccine availability and the age demographics of different communities,” said Rachel Galligan, communications leader at VCH.
With the UBC clinic on pause until May 12, students will need to travel off campus to receive their COVID-19 vaccine once eligible. The two closest vaccine clinics are at the Kerrisdale Seniors Centre — nine kilometres from UBC — and the Vancouver Convention Centre, 12 kilometres away.
Galligan says VCH is committed to ensuring all eligible residents will have the opportunity to get their vaccine.
“Eligible residents are welcome at all available clinics across VCH … As VCH works through vaccinating residents based on the age cohort system, we may open additional clinic dates in UBC’s Vancouver campus.”
A complete list of COVID-19 vaccine clinics in the Vancouver Coastal Health region is available on the VCH website.
This article has been updated to reflect that the clinic will reopen on May 12.