The province has announced that more than 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, as part of the largest immunization campaign in Manitoba history.
“Manitoba’s vaccine campaign is comprehensive, responsive and helping to protect more people every day,” said Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson. “Reaching 300,000 doses is an important milestone, for all of us. Every person immunized is keeping themselves and all of us safer and better protected from COVID-19.”
As of today, a total of 308,576 doses have been administered and more than 22 per cent of people in Manitoban have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
There are currently five super sites in operation (Winnipeg, Selkirk, Brandon, Morden and Thompson), with Steinbach and Winnipeg (Leila Soccer Complex) scheduled to open in May. The province recently announced plans to maximize how many doses can be administered at super sites, as the quickest way to immunize people. This will result in a temporary shift in the number of pop-up clinics available, though some will continue to be available to ensure access for individuals who might not be able to attend a super site. The province will also work closely with medical clinics and pharmacies to direct future doses to locations that can deliver vaccine more quickly.
“This is an important milestone to mark our progress, but we are already looking to the next milestone and how quickly we can reach it,” said Johanu Botha, operations lead of the Vaccination Implementation Task Force. “We’ll continue to move forward thanks to the work of key stakeholders, health providers, as well as the leadership of our First Nations partners. We still have much work to do, but we embrace the challenges we face as we work to protect Manitobans.”
“We are seeing a rising number of COVID-19 cases in our province and the start of a third wave that is causing more serious illness in younger people,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the Vaccination Implementation Task Force. “Getting the vaccine will protect you and the people around you at this critical time. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and our best protection as we continue to follow public health advice to reduce the spread of the virus.”
Individuals can sign up to be notified when it is their turn to be immunized and find more information on Manitoba’s vaccine program at protectmb.ca.
