It's hotter than Tickle Me Elmo.
Hundreds of people lined up for hours at the Arbutus shopping centre yesterday for the most wanted item this holiday season: the H1N1 flu vaccine. The first batch of the vaccine was snatched up during the three-and-a-half hour public clinic.
"I have friends who contracted H1N1 so I decided to get this. You have to," said Wade Borthwick, who was vaccinated along with his pregnant wife. "We're doing this for our daughter - she's got to have a family."
The father wasn't surprised to see a line-up snake through the halls of the shopping centre.
"Everyone has been talking about [the virus] and people want to be safe," he said.
Not everyone was so lucky though. Dozens were turned away just before the 11:30 a.m. cut-off.
Burnaby resident Dennis King was one of the first people turned away at 11:25 a.m., despite arriving 20 minutes earlier.
"It's pathetic," an upset King told media after being told to leave. "My wife and I came here from Burnaby and we're being turned away. It's not organized very well."
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Factbox:
H1N1 VACCINE CLINICS:
Tuesday, Oct. 27:
- South Community Health Centre (6405 Knight St.): 9 to 11:30 a.m. - drop-in.
- Evergreen Community Health Centre (3425 Crowley Drive):
1 to 4 p.m.; appt. only.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28:
- Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House
(2131 Renfrew St.)
9:45 to 11:30 a.m.; appt.
- Kitsilano Community Centre (2960 Larch Street): 1 to 4 p.m.; appointment only.
- North Community Health Office (200-1651 Commercial Drive): 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; drop-in.
THURSDAY, OCT. 29:
- Renfrew Community Centre (2929 E. 22nd Ave)
1 to 3 p.m.; drop-in.
FRIDAY, OCT. 30
- Pacific Spirit CHC (2110 W. 43rd Avenue): 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; drop-in.
For more information, visit www.health.gov.bc.ca/flu
