Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister speaks during the province’s COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg, Monday, March 30, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says the province is ready to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to Manitobans when it arrives.
Health Canada has yet to approve a vaccine, but when it does, Pallister says Manitoba will be prepared to handle mass vaccinations.
“Our team of hundreds of dedicated Manitobans has been planning and preparing for months, for a vaccination campaign that will be unlike anything else this province has ever seen,” Pallister said on Thursday.
“We are assembling the necessary people, equipment and other resources to we can rapidly stand up a large-scale, ‘super site’ vaccine campaign, as soon as the vaccine is delivered.”
Pallister said the province has procured enough supplies to administer two doses of the vaccine to every Manitoban safely and effectively, including a sufficient supply of personal protective equipment for staff administering vaccinations, as well as needles and syringes.
The province has already received and installed one of the freezers needed to safely store one of the COVID-19 vaccines at extremely low temperatures. Four other freezers are on the way. Together, they can hold about one million doses of vaccine, while the province has also purchased 20 portable ultra-cold freezers.
“Over time, the vaccine will be available to every Manitobans who wants it and this will help to protect all of us against COVID-19.”
