The Manitoba government is telling us more about the plans for COVID-19 vaccinations in the coming months.
The eligibility criteria will be expanded in the coming weeks as more vaccine doses are delivered — and immunization appointments will gradually open up to a broader range of healthcare workers, care home residents, and elderly Manitobans.
The Manitoba government will use daily COVID-19 vaccine bulletins to inform health-care workers and other Manitobans when they become eligible to be immunized.
The province says the key limiting factor at this time is the vaccine supply procured by the federal government. Supplies are expected to be limited until April 2021 across Canada.
With additional vaccine supplies expected to arrive in Manitoba in January, an estimated 15,000 residents of personal care homes, who are most at risk of serious and potentially life-threatening illness, will become eligible to be vaccinated.
Provincial officials say a public health evidence-based formula will be used to determine where vaccines will be deployed (ie. assessing the risks of each personal care home, based on the number of residents and the use of shared rooms where infection is more likely to spread).
During the month of January, the province expects enough vaccine supplies to provide approximately 10,000 immunizations per week.
Once larger, additional supplies of vaccines are made available to Manitoba, the province says the next phase of the immunization campaign will add seniors as a priority group, starting with the oldest Manitobans.
Based on projected deliveries of vaccine to Manitoba, this may not begin for several months.
An immunization super site — the province’s 1st — is expected to open at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on Jan. 4.
On Jan. 18, Brandon’s Keystone Centre in Brandon is expected to begin operating an immunization clinic.
The province says a new online system for booking immunization appointments will launch in early 2021. The current phone line will continue to be available for those without internet access.
The province will also be launching an online dashboard to provide updates and statistics on the vaccine campaign.
