Manitoba is adjusting its approach to the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine in response to ongoing evidence and supply. First doses can continue to be administered, but only to people who might not otherwise be immunized at other sites. Most doses of this vaccine will now be held for second-dose immunizations only, so people who have received their first dose of this vaccine will be able to receive their second dose within the recommended time frames, following national clinical guidance.

Manitoba is also monitoring decisions on whether different types of vaccines can be used to administer second doses. This decision does not affect Manitoba’s overall timeframe for ensuring all Manitobans 18 and over who wish to be vaccinated to be able to receive a first dose of other vaccines by June 8.

Eligibility

Eligibility to be immunized with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines has expanded to include all people in Manitoba aged 18 and older.

Vaccine Administration

To date, 591,497 doses of vaccine have been administered in Manitoba.

Appointments

Eligible people can now book appointments at all vaccination super sites: Gimli, Dauphin, Steinbach, Winnipeg (RBC Convention Centre and Leila locations), Brandon, Thompson, Selkirk and Morden. Eligible individuals can book their appointment online at protectmb.ca with an email address and health card number, or by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).

Pop-up clinics are taking place in communities throughout the province next week. Appointments can be made by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).

Indigenous people can also choose to receive their vaccine at urban Indigenous pop-up clinics led by community organizations in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson and Portage la Prairie.

A walk-in clinic is being held in The Pas at Roy H. Johnson Arena (523 Smith St.) from 11 a.m. to  6 p.m. today, and on May 18 and 19. A walk-in clinic is being held in Flin Flon at the Flin Flon Community Hall (2 North Ave.) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 13, 14, 20 and 21.

People will be able to begin booking second-dose appointments on May 22. Individuals who are immunocompromised or have other prioritized health conditions will be able to book their appointments first. More details on this process will provided soon.

To book a second-dose appointment, people will need to provide the date of their first dose and the type of vaccine received. This information can be accessed at manitoba.ca with your health card number and email address. Otherwise, people can contact their local public health office to request this information. A printed copy or proof of immunization is not required to book or attend your second-dose appointment.

Medical clinics and pharmacies will contact people who received their AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine at these locations to book second doses, which are likely to begin in June.

Whenever possible, parents and caregivers are encouraged to make child-care arrangements prior to attending their vaccination appointment. However, parents are able to bring their children with them to their appointment as long as they also wear masks and follow good physical distancing.

Vaccine Supply and Distribution 

To date, a total of 730,230 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Manitoba. This includes:

  • 469,170 doses of Pfizer vaccine;
  • 176,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine; and
  • 84,260 doses of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine.

This week, Manitoba expects to receive an additional 37,440 doses of Pfizer vaccine.

Workforce

As of May 10, 2,601 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 1,263 staff who have been assigned to COVID-19 immunization efforts from regional health authorities, bringing the total of new hires and existing staff to 3,864.

Additional Information 

Yesterday, the province introduced changes to the Employment Standards Code that would allow Manitoba workers to take up to three hours of paid leave to receive COVID-19 vaccinations during work hours. The proposed amendments would make it mandatory for employers to allow employees up to three hours of paid leave each time the employee requires a dose of vaccine. Employees who need more time to travel to vaccination appointments or who suffer from vaccine side effects would be allowed to take a longer unpaid leave. The new paid leave requirements for vaccination appointments complement the recently announced voluntary Manitoba Pandemic Sick Leave program, which will reimburse employers up to $600 per employee for a maximum of five full days of COVID-19 related sick leave, which can include vaccinations.

Anyone who has been in Manitoba for one month or more can receive the vaccine at no cost if they meet provincial eligibility requirements.

People in Manitoba can now access interpreter services in over 100 languages when they are booking their COVID-19 vaccine appointment by phone. Callers can also request spoken language or American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services at one of the province’s supersite locations.

When attending a vaccine appointment, people are reminded to bring their completed consent form (available online at 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 manitoba.ca and protectmb.ca. For regular updates, visit protectmb.ca and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.

All data in this bulletin is current as of May11, unless noted otherwise.