A vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-POOL, Jeff J Mitchell)
WINNIPEG — The first group of priority Manitobans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can begin booking appointments to get immunized.
The province said on Saturday that immunization clinics will begin as early as December 16, dependant on Pfizer’s vaccine arriving safely as scheduled.
“By protecting Manitoba’s health care workers, we are helping to protect our entire health care system and the patients they care for,” said Premier Brian Pallister.
“Based on the recommendations of our vaccine implementation task force, we have identified which health care workers should be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and effectively begin an unprecedented immunization campaign. We know it will take time for every Manitoban to be immunized, but we are ready to make that happen as quickly and safely as possible.”
Eligible health-care workers received information on Friday explaining how to book an appointment by phone. Appointments are being booked in the order of calls received. The first vaccinations will take place in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences campus on McDermot Avenue.
The first priority group for the vaccine includes those health-care workers who:
• Work in critical care units, born on or before December 31, 1970
• Work in acute care facilities, born on or before December 31, 1960
• Work in long term care facilities, born on or before December 31, 1960
• Are assigned to COVID-19 immunization clinics
The first priority group is larger than the initial 900 doses being received in Manitoba, but additional vaccine dosages will arrive shortly thereafter and appointments for subsequent immunizations are also being booked.
Health-care workers who call are also being given their second dosage date and will receive an automated reminder by text.
The province will receive further vaccine shipments in late December or early January. Manitoba will receive 228,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines between now and March 31, 2021, enough to vaccinate more than 100,000 Manitobans or approximately seven percent of the total population.
