Thompson COVID-19 vaccination supersite the only one open over shortage of vaccine

TheCOVID-19 vaccination supersitein Thompson, Man., will be the only open site in Manitobaamid ongoing vaccine shortages, the province says.

Supersites in Winnipeg and Brandon will be closed until Thursday.People whohad appointments scheduled while the clinics are closedhave been contacted to reschedule their appointments, which will still be within the recommended window,the province said in a news release on Sunday.

The Thompson supersite will host 1,000 eligible people from remote parts of the north in March, the release said.The Vaxport site, which has not opened yet, will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Only 6,100 doses of the Moderna vaccine the type remote and northern sites use because it's easier to ship and store than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccineare expected next week.

Meanwhile, Manitoba is expecting 15,210 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTechvaccinethis week and 17,550 doses next week.

In spite of the challenges accessing doses, the province is also expanding the criteria to allow more front-line health-care workers to get the vaccine.

That includes people in the following groups:

• People who work in COVID-19 alternative isolation accommodations (no age restrictions).
• People who are born on or before Dec. 31, 1960, and whowork in facilities providing services insured by Manitoba Health and Seniors Careincluding:
  • Primary care clinics (family physicians andnurse practitioners, for example).
  • Diagnostic laboratories.
  • Outpatient laboratories.
  • Outpatient surgical units.
  • Specialty physician clinics, such as cardiology, gynecology and psychiatry.

Immunization teams are expected to immunize about 3,600 residents of 49 personal care homes this week with their second dose of vaccine. All personal care home residents are expected to be fully vaccinatedby the end of the month.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now recommending that the next phase of immunization shouldinclude those withunderlying health conditions, including members of racialized communities whoface health inequities.

NDP calls for amended vaccination plans

Manitoba's NDP are calling on the province to amend its vaccination plans to include people with these health conditions, and to release the data the government is collecting on how COVID-19 is impacting Black and Indigenous people and people of colour.

"Manitobans want the immunization campaign to be fair and that means prioritizing the health of those most at risk," said the opposition party's health-care critic Uzoma Asagwarain a news release.

"These new national guidelines make it clear that racialized groups are highrisk, but the PC government continues to hide the race-based COVID data we know they are collecting."

When asked about this in a press conference on Tuesday, Manitoba's chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin deferred comment to the province's vaccination task force.

He did say, though, that the biggest issue is the delay in vaccines.

"We want to try to get to those who at high risk of infection, or high risk of severe outcomes or high risk of exposure. It's very complex and the biggest issue really is the vaccine supply," he said.

WATCH | Older adults most at risk: Dr. Joss Reimer

Older Manitobans a priority for getting vaccine, says task force

4 years ago

Duration 1:55

The medical lead for Manitoba's vaccine task force, Dr. Joss Reimer, says older people are most at risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and they will be vaccinated first because there isn't enough vaccine to inoculate everyone at this time.

CBC News has reached out to the province for a response from the vaccination task force.

A spokesperson from Manitoba Health says the province will release data on how COVID-19 affects racialized communities when the data is compiled and ready to be made public.

In the past, Dr. Joss Reimer who sits on the task force said older adults are a priority because they're most at risk of severe outcomes.

To date, a total of 69,600 doses ofvaccinehave been delivered to Manitoba, including 46,800 doses of the Pfizer Bio-NTech vaccineand 22,800 doses of the Modernavaccine.About two per cent of Manitobans are fully vaccinated.