900 more health-care workers in Manitoba to get COVID-19 vaccine

Thenumber of front-line health-care workers who will be vaccinated before Christmas is doubling in Manitoba.

The province announced Friday morning that it is inviting 900 more priority health-care workers to book immunization appointments for next week,following confirmation that a second shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTechvaccine is on its way.

Thefirst Manitobans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were giventheir initial dose Wednesday morning. The clinic at the University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences campus was expected to welcome patientsthrough Friday, inoculating 900 people with the first dose by the end of the week.

The vaccine requires two doses; the second doses will be administered at a new vaccination site at the RBC Convention Centre in three weeks, health officials have said.

"This was a monumental week in Manitoba as the first few hundred doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to the first priority group of health-care providers, bringing long-awaited hope to many Manitobans and protection for the health-care system," Premier Brian Pallister said in a news release on Friday.

"By end of day today, we will have immunized 900 health-care workers on the front line of this pandemic, and as we secure more vaccine supply, we're able to open up 900 more opportunities for immunization to protect our health-care workers and the Manitobans they care for."

900 more health-care workers in Manitoba to get COVID-19 vaccine

4 years ago

Duration 1:32

The number of front-line health-care workers who will be vaccinated before Christmas is doubling in Manitoba.

The immunization clinic is now booking thesecond round of appointments, which will be heldDec. 21 to 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Those shots are reserved for the same priority group as the first round, Pallister said in the news release.

"The phone lines should be reserved for their use," he said.

There are still available appointmentsfor the next COVID-19 immunization clinic, which will take place from Monday to Wednesday next week, the province said in a news release Friday. As of Friday afternoon, 420 out of 900 appointments have been booked.

So far, only health-care workers assigned to COVID-19 immunization clinics andolder health-care workers who are in direct contact with patients andwork incritical-care units, acute care facilitiesorlong-term care facilitiesare being considered for the vaccine.

To be eligible, those working incritical-care units must have beenborn on or before Dec. 31, 1970, while those whowork in acute care and long-term care facilities must have beenborn on or before Dec. 31, 1960.

The phone line to book appointments will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. until all available appointments are booked, the province said.

"We expect additional shipments of the vaccine in the coming weeks and we will expand eligibility criteria as supply is confirmed from the federal government so we can work toward providing a vaccine to all Manitobans who wish to receive one," Pallister said.

More information about the vaccine campaign in Manitoba, including eligibility criteria, is available on the province's website.