The province is expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include all adults aged 18 and older who live or work in specified jobs in the communities of Point Douglas North and Downtown West in Winnipeg and Brandon Downtown. Previously announced communities include Winnipeg’s Seven Oaks West, Downtown East, Point Douglas South and Inkster East communities. All adults who live or work (in any role) in the Northern Regional Health Authority, as well as Churchill, are eligible.
A map and other information about community-based eligibility is available at:
https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/eligibility-criteria.html#community-based.
The Steinbach super site in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, located at 294 Lumber Ave., will open on May 18. The second super site in Prairie Mountain Health will be located in Dauphin at 304 Whitmore Ave. E. and will open May 10. This expansion brings the total number of super sites to eight: Winnipeg RBC Convention Centre, Winnipeg Leila Soccer Complex, Brandon, Thompson, Morden and Selkirk.
People in Manitoba can now access interpreter services in over 100 languages when they are booking their COVID-19 vaccine appointment by phone. People who call 1-844-MAN-VACC (1-844-626-8222) to make an appointment can request an interpreter, and the call centre will have a professional interpreter join the call to provide information to them in the language of their choice. Callers can also request spoken language or American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services at one of the province’s super site locations.
Eligibility Criteria
For anyone living outside of specified communities, eligibility to be immunized at a super site or pop-up clinic includes individuals aged 50 or older and First Nation people aged 30 or older. Eligibility for the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine includes all people aged 40 and over.
Anyone who has been in Manitoba for one month or more can receive the vaccine at no cost if they meet provincial eligibility requirements.
Appointments
Appointments are currently available at super sites in Winnipeg (RBC Convention Centre and Leila), Brandon, Thompson, Selkirk and Morden. Appointments are not yet available for the Steinbach and Dauphin locations. Eligible individuals can book their appointment at a super site online at https://protectmb.ca with an email address and health card number, or by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).
Appointments are now also being booked at urban Indigenous pop-up clinics, which are led by community organizations in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson and Portage la Prairie.
Appointments at pop-up clinics in Flin Flon and The Pas are currently available. Appointments can be made by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).
People who are eligible for the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine at a medical clinic or pharmacy can use the COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Finder, located at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/finder.html.
Workforce
To date, 2,441 people have been hired to assist with Manitoba’s vaccination efforts including immunizers, clinic managers, clinical leads, system navigators and observers. This is in addition to 1,255 staff who have been assigned to COVID-19 immunization efforts from regional health authorities, bringing the total of new hires and existing staff to 3,696.
Vaccine Administration
To date, 447,031 doses of vaccine have been administered.
This week, Focused Immunization Teams will provide first-dose immunizations at four congregate living facilities.
Vaccine Supply and Distribution
To date, a total of 559,350 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Manitoba. This includes:
• 356,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine;
• 118,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine; and
• 84,100 doses of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine.
This week, Manitoba expects to receive 2,340 doses of Pfizer and 22,100 doses of Moderna vaccine.
Additional Information
All data in this bulletin is current as of April 27, unless noted otherwise.
At this time, only first-dose appointments are available. The province will provide more information about planning for second doses in the weeks ahead.
When attending a vaccine appointment, people are reminded to bring their completed consent form (available online at https://protectmb.ca), wear a short-sleeved shirt, wear a mask, and bring their health card or other form of identification. To help support good physical distancing on site, people should arrive no more than 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time.
More information about the vaccine campaign in Manitoba is available at www.manitoba.ca/vaccine and https://protectmb.ca. For regular updates, visit https://protectmb.ca and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.
(Manitoba Government News Release)