View From the Legislature

Vaccine Eligibility Expands Quickly

  • Kelvin Goertzen, Author
  • Member of the Legislative Assembly, Steinbach

For the first three months of this year, many Canadians watched as countries like Israel, Britain and the United States moved very quickly to both procure and distribute COVID19 vaccines. For those waiting to get vaccinated in Canada, it likely felt frustratingly slow as the federal government worked to purchase vaccines for Canadians.

The early doses of vaccine that did arrive in Manitoba were designated for those that were the most vulnerable to COVID19 in the province. This included residents of Personal Care Homes who in the early waves of the pandemic were so devastated by this disease. Thankfully, as a result of vaccinations, the current wave has seen the death rate drop significantly among this age group even as younger people have become more impacted. Also early on, healthcare workers were prioritized for vaccination which is helping to reduce the sick time for those critical workers.

Since the beginning of May however, the predicted surge in vaccinations coming to Canada and Manitoba is occurring and the eligibility for a vaccine has accelerated very quickly. As of this week, every Manitoban over the age of 18 who wishes to book an appointment for a vaccination can. This is significantly ahead of what was expected only a few weeks ago. As well, Health Canada has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 12 and older. Of course, for most Manitobans who have or will receive one dose of vaccine, they will also be wondering about their second dose. As there has been an accelerated first dose regime there will be continued information and scheduling times for second doses being made available to Manitobans soon. This information can be found on protectmb.ca

Manitoba, like essentially all parts of Canada, has been dealing with a third wave of the pandemic As a result we have again been seeing hospitals and ICUs fill with COVID19 patients. However, this time the age of the patients is much younger on average. This makes offering the vaccine to younger Manitobans that much more important and Canadians are now seeing that significant increase of vaccine availability that they had been waiting for. As Canada plays catch-up to countries like the United States, it is worth remembering that there are many countries where vaccination programs have not even started or where there has been incredible loss, such as India. Even in difficulty, we have both reasons to be optimistic as well as grateful.

On Tuesday, May 18, the Steinbach super-site will be opening. While many local residents have already received vaccination either at a local pop-up site or at a super-site elsewhere in the province, this will provide a more easily accessible and consistent site for residents of the southeast. Remember to visit protectmb.ca for the latest vaccine information.