The first doses of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine are expected to arrive in Manitoba next week and will then be distributed to participating medical clinics and pharmacies. The province is recommending this vaccine be provided to adults aged 50 to 64 years, with priority given to those at increased risk of experiencing serious outcomes. It is important to note that appointments cannot be booked at this time. Additional information about those who should receive this vaccine and the process to book an appointment will be provided in the coming days.
Today, Health Canada authorized the use of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) single-dose vaccine. Manitoba will provide more information about this vaccine as soon as it is available.
Vaccination Queue Jumping
A new emergency order under the Emergency Measures Act will allow Shared Health to investigate and confirm eligibility of health-care workers who have received vaccinations. If the investigation confirms an individual provided false information for the purposes of receiving early access to a vaccination, this information can be disclosed to the individual’s employer, professional regulatory body, or to law enforcement.
The order is retroactive to Dec. 12, 2020, as the first day of vaccinations in Manitoba. It is posted at gov.mb.ca.
Vaccine Administration
To date, 84,937 doses of vaccine have been administered including 55,090 first doses and 29,847 second doses.
This week, Focused Immunization Teams (FITs) visited about 120 congregate living facilities located throughout the province with an estimated 4,900 residents. Next week, nearly 3,000 eligible residents at more than 70 sites will be offered their first dose of the vaccine.
To date, approximately 500 medical clinics and pharmacies have applied to be part of the immunization campaign.
Appointments and Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility criteria is being expanded today to include individuals aged 87 or older or First Nation people aged 67 or older at the time of booking an appointment.
The time period between first and second dose vaccinations is being extended up to four months. This extension is based on the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which provides guidance to provinces and territories, reporting a higher than anticipated level of protection from COVID-19 vaccines. This will allow more Manitobans to receive their first-dose immunization sooner.
Second dose appointments will no longer be booked at the same time as the first. Second-dose appointments already booked will continue to be honoured.
Recognizing that spouses or household members might become eligible at the same time, individuals can now make an appointment for more than one person at a time, as long as both individuals meet the current eligibility criteria.
Appointments can currently be booked in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson and Selkirk.
Manitobans should visit gov.mb.ca to determine if they are eligible to make an appointment. If eligible, call (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC). Everyone who calls is screened to ensure they meet current eligibility criteria before booking an appointment.
The average wait time to make an appointment by phone is less than a minute. A call-back option is also available instead of waiting on hold.
Vaccine Supply and Distribution
To date, a total of 124,840 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Manitoba. This includes:
- 95,940 doses of Pfizer vaccine; and
- 28,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Next week, Manitoba expects to receive 16,380 doses of Pfizer and 18,000 doses of Covishield.
Additional Information
Manitoba’s daily maximum capacity measures the number of doses the province could give every day, if vaccine supply was not an issue. The provincial target is 20,000 doses per day by April, and it is currently 12,499.
The vaccination calculator lets Manitobans see where they are in the priority line, based on their age, vaccine uptake and other factors. The calculator and more information about the vaccine campaign in Manitoba is available at manitoba.ca.
All data in this bulletin is current as of March 4, unless noted otherwise.
