Province not tracking vaccination rates for Hutterites

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This article was published 04/07/2021 (1778 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Around this time last year, just months into the pandemic, COVID-19 outbreaks at Manitoba Hutterite colonies made headlines.

Now that vaccines are being administered across the province, no one can say how many members of the close-knit, faith-based communities are getting them.

Dr. Joss Reimer said Wednesday the province’s vaccine task force has not conducted an analysis to determine vaccination rates in Hutterite colonies in rural Manitoba.

“We don’t have any of those numbers available right now,” Reimer, the task force’s medical lead, said at a news conference Wednesday.

The province collects ethnicity data on vaccination rates, but not specifically for Hutterites. The “congregate facility” data does not specifically capture numbers for Hutterite colonies.

Reimer said the province could use geographical information, such as postal codes, to determine vaccination rates for residents of Hutterite colonies.

“We probably could do some analysis looking at some of the colonies and other types of communal living in rural areas,” Reimer said. “That is something that we could take back to our epidemiology and surveillance team to see if they can pull together an analysis but, certainly, we haven’t done one to date, on that topic.”

Kenny Wollman, a member of the Hutterian Safety Council’s COVID-19 team, said members of his community and Hutterites in general are getting vaccinated at sites all over the province, depending on what works for their schedule.

“This has been the case since the vaccine programs became available and continues as people are getting their second shots,” Wollman said Wednesday.

“Vaccine availability is a challenge that all Manitobans have to navigate as best they can; Hutterites are no different.”

Wollman has not been vaccinated but said he will be soon.

“My first appointment last month had to be cancelled due to family and health concerns. I rescheduled as quickly as I could and tried my luck at a pop-up clinic,” he said. “I look forward to my appointment later this week.”

Some Hutterites are hesitant to get a vaccine, Wollman said.

Their reasons are no different than other Manitobans, he said, and range from concerns about safety, efficacy and government overreach, mistrust of ‘Big Pharma,’ and prior negative experiences with vaccines.

Hutterites were significantly affected during the first wave of the pandemic, but not in the second and third, he noted. This, Wollman said, had caused some to choose to rely solely on natural immunity.

“Hutterites are not a monolith; one size does not fit all,” he said. “That is to say that, like all other segments of society in Manitoba, we have diverse opinions on COVID-19 and how to best deal with it. The added challenge we have is being a visible minority. It is always my hope that all our interactions with each other are rooted in kindness and respect.”

At a news conference last week, Manitoba’s deputy chief public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal was asked what the province is doing to meet Hutterites’ vaccination needs.

“We have worked with many different groups of people in Manitoba, including Hutterite communities,” Atwal said. Public health has reached out to them to offer education and promote vaccine uptake, as they have with other communities, he said.

“We’ve done all those things, we’re going to continue to do those things,” Atwal said.

Wollman confirmed the province has reached out to Hutterite communities.

“The Hutterian Safety Council has met with the province and also regional health authorities to learn about the province’s vaccine program and we have provided our communities with this information,” he said.

The council has also worked with regional health authorities to put together a list of frequently asked questions, addressing some concerns that have surfaced.

When asked if she’s concerned about vaccination rates on Hutterite colonies, Reimer said she’s concerned whenever people live or work closely together.

“Any sort of close quarters, communal living or even workplace where people are interacting in large groups in small spaces is a concern for us,” Reimer said Wednesday.

“We’ve asked each regional health authority to look at their food production and manufacturing workplaces — to look at things like colonies, to look at other communal living that maybe we didn’t think of,” the doctor said. “Are there work camps? Temporary foreign workers?”

Questions and issues concerning vaccine uptake are best identified and addressed by regional health authorities, she said.

“They know their communities the best,” said Reimer. “We’re really happy that we can use their knowledge and expertise to tailor the response to… local needs.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

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