Manitoba pharmacists push for increased role in administration of vaccines

Manitoba’s public health officials are preparing for influenza season to peak earlier than usual amid concerns about declining uptake for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

While the season started early in some provinces, including Ontario and B.C., Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, said it’s too soon to conclusively say if the same will happen here.

“But certainly seeing what’s around us and seeing an uptick (in cases) here, it’s making a concern it might be an early year,” he told the Free Press on Thursday.

Manitoba’s flu season usually peaks in late December, with the vaccination campaign continuing into the new year.

“We see some transmission in other jurisdictions in the country, which makes us be prepared for potentially an earlier peak this year, but we won’t know that until the season plays out,” Roussin said.

“We really want to front-load the messaging and the vaccines, because we want people to be getting (the vaccine) before we see high levels.”

Last year, only 22 per cent of Manitobans received a flu shot — down from about 24 per cent in recent years — and just 15 per cent received a COVID vaccine.

“For the last couple of years, we’re seeing a down trend,” Roussin said.

While it’s difficult to know what’s behind the decline in flu shots, the risk during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic drove demand for that vaccine, which has since declined, he said.

“We want to continue to keep those messages going on the importance of both,” Roussin said. “We see the same types of individuals in the ICU every year — they’re unvaccinated and they have a significant, underlying chronic disease, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.”

Those deemed at high risk of flu-related complications or hospitalization include young children, adults aged 65 or older, people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, residents of nursing homes and Indigenous peoples.

The province, meanwhile, reported one additional death from hepatitis A infection to bring the total to eight since September 2024. Manitoba has recorded 1,046 cases as of Sept. 24, up from 1,004 on Sept. 10.

The number of hospitalizations has been revised to 243 from 257 because additional analysis showed some people were incorrectly counted after visiting an emergency room without being admitted.

Manitoba declared a hepatitis A outbreak in April 2025. The overall risk to the public is considered low.

Pharmacists Manitoba also raised concerns on Thursday about declining uptake of vaccines. The association said vaccination barriers and misinformation may be hindering uptake.

The advocacy group is asking the provincial government to change legislation to allow pharmacists to administer RSV and hepatitis A and B vaccines, and to prescribe and administer a shingles vaccine — similar to their counterparts in other provinces — to make it easier for Manitobans to get those shots.

“Improving the accessibility for these types of vaccines through pharmacists would increase the likelihood that people will access those vaccines, which we know can be extremely helpful in reducing overall burden on our health-care system,” said Britt Kural, a pharmacy practice adviser with Pharmacists Manitoba.

“(Pharmacies) are a convenient place to access vaccination services, and we’ve seen that that accessibility has really helped drive Manitobans to pharmacies when they’re receiving their flu and COVID shots every year.”

Pharmacists Manitoba said 1,700-plus pharmacists administered more than half of the flu shots (178,000) and more than 60 per cent of all COVID-19 doses (137,000) in 2025-26.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the province is “actively working” with pharmacists and their regulatory college to explore expanding the range of vaccines they can administer, as well as other services, including the potential assessment and treatment of shingles.

Since April, the government has allowed pharmacists to provide measles vaccines to people aged two to 19 in response to an outbreak that started in February 2025.

Winnipeg resident Kristen Hardy obtained a prescription for a shingles vaccine via QDoc, a virtual health-care platform. She visited a pharmacy Thursday for her second dose and a flu shot.

“Needing a prescription (for a shingles vaccine) is a real inconvenience for a lot of people,” she said. “It’s a significant barrier for people who either cannot access a service like QDoc for whatever reason or who don’t go to clinics for whatever reason.”

She paid about $230 per dose of a shingles vaccine. The cost can be a significant barrier, Hardy said.

She said Manitobans also face barriers to get a dose of Nuvaxovid, a non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine is available again after it wasn’t on the market last year, Roussin said. Manitoba has ordered a small quantity of the vaccine, which is only available at select public health centres, unlike mRNA vaccines, which are available in pharmacies.

Hardy said she opts for Nuvaxovid because she has an underlying health condition that “flares badly” in response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine formulations.

Hardy said the earliest available date for her Nuvaxovid dose is not until late October at a Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Access Centre in a different area of the city. Her mother received a dose of a mRNA vaccine at a pharmacy Thursday.

Hardy said a public health nurse told her to call the Access Centre day before her appointment to make sure Nuvaxovid is in stock.

“It’s rather ridiculous to me that, on the one hand, we get the discourse, the rhetoric from the government saying, ‘Get the COVID vaccine,’ and yet we have people who want to get vaccinated who can’t access it or access it conveniently,” she said.

Roussin said Manitoba hasn’t seen much demand for Nuvaxovid. It cannot be distributed widely like other COVID vaccines because a small quantity was procured, he said.

chris.kitching@winnipegfreepress.com