Four of eight COVID-19 vaccine clinics within the Thompson-Nicola Regional District boundaries get underway today.

Those clinics are at the McArthur Island curling rink in Kamloops, as well as at facilitie in Ashcroft, Chase, and Merritt.

“This really is an incredible feat. If you think just four months ago there was essentially no vaccine against this virus and now we’re starting to roll this out to the general population as well,” Interior Health’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Albert de Villiers said during a press conference on Friday.

“We saw members of the general public begin to book for their COVID-19 vaccine appointments and that’s wonderful for so many people who’ve been waiting for a relatively long time to be able to get in.”

At the Kamloops clinic, there are 408 appointments booked today with 12 nurses administering the doses. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Elder Garry Gottfriedson was first up to get his COVID-19 vaccine shot today.

“I’m happy. This is a great day,” he said, after he got his vaccine from Registered Nurse Kyla Cook.

“I’m really excited that we are able to do the vaccinations,” Cook said, in a statement via Interior Health.

Vaccinations will begin for people aged 90 and older as well as for Indigenous people 65 and older after they were able to start booking appointments last Monday, March 8. The booking system was expanded on Thursday to include people 85 and older, before being expanded again late Sunday to include people aged 80 to 84, starting with people 84 and older today.

“This group will now be booking a week ahead of schedule, ” a statement from the BC Government read. “We estimate that there are approximately 105,000 seniors in this age category who have not yet been vaccinated.”

“Anticipating the enthusiasm of all those in this age group who want an appointment for their vaccine is important … the TELUS Call Centre is ready, but to manage the volume we are going to ask our seniors to work with us and space out their calls for appointments.”

A COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Clinton opens this Friday, March 19, while clinics at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops and in Clearwater get going next Monday, March 22. A clinic in Barriere is also set to open on March 24.

Health Minster Adrian Dix previously said he expects these clinics to open the general public on April 12, when the province moves into Phase 3 of its COVID-19 vaccine plan to include people between the age of 60 and 80, as well as people between the age of 16 and 69 who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

The number to call to book a vaccine is 1-877-740-7747, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.