Manitobans urged to get vaccinated after ‘missed opportunity’ last year

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This article was published 16/10/2024 (349 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba has launched an advertising campaign to boost influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake compared with last year’s dismal figures, particularly among infants and young children.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara is using the slogan, “One visit. Two shots” to urge residents to make appointments or attend a drop-in to get vaccinated ahead of respiratory virus season.

Asagwara and chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin held a news conference Wednesday to share details about the annual immunization program.

“Last year, for influenza, we actually saw a decrease in the children under age five, unfortunately, that got vaccinated. We really want to focus on that because we know that’s a very high-risk group,” Roussin told reporters.

Roughly one-quarter of the population was immunized as part of the 2023 flu vaccine rollout, a slight improvement from pre-pandemic averages that hovered around 20 per cent. Only about 19 per cent of people got the latest COVID-19 jab at the time.

While he did not provide a target for the coming season, Roussin said the province’s goal is to increase the overall percentages of individuals who are immunized, especially among those in high-risk groups.

None of the patients admitted to the intensive care unit for influenza-related concerns last year had been vaccinated, Roussin noted, calling that a “missed opportunity to protect Manitobans.”

Asagwara said the government’s preparation has focused on recruiting health-care workers and adding hospital beds.

The province said there are 18 newly funded adult ICU beds and eight additional pediatric ones, as well as four stepdown beds for young patients, and 112 acute care beds.

“While health-care workers take care of our most vulnerable and our sickest Manitobans, it is our job, each and every one of us, to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to protect ourselves, our loved ones and communities from illness this season,” the minister said.

That means getting vaccinated and practising hand hygiene, staying home when feeling unwell, masking and other pandemic-era takeaways, Asagwara said.

Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available at medical clinics, ACCESS centres, vaccine clinics, pharmacies, nursing stations and through public health.

The RSV vaccine is free to people 60 or older who live in long-term care homes.

Roussin said the latest COVID-19 vaccine will protect individuals against the KP strain that’s been prominent in the province in recent months.

Ryan Chan, pharmacist and owner of the downtown Exchange District Pharmacy, said they are busy giving flu shots, both at the pharmacy and at various large businesses that hire him to come in.

Chan said while he sees the same number of people wanting to get the flu shot, the sleeves aren’t being rolled up as quickly for the COVID-19 shot over the last couple of years.

“There’s more of a chance of adverse effects and many people don’t like that,” he said Wednesday. “No one wants to feel like crap the next day, I guess.”

Chan believes many people were turned off from getting that vaccine because, at one point in the pandemic, it was mandatory to be able to do things like cross an international border or get on a plane.

Tony Kreml, Seven Oaks School Division superintendent, said it is not planning on holding vaccination clinics for students.

“We last had COVID clinics in schools earlier with COVID,” Kreml said. “We don’t have any immediate plans on it right now.”

Kreml said the school division still holds clinics to help students catch up on childhood immunizations, including measles and mumps.

A spokeswoman for the University of Manitoba said the institution’s University Health Services holds a flu and COVID-19 immunization clinic on several Thursday mornings from now until December.

“These clinics are for students, staff and the public,” she said. “It is by appointment only.”

— with files from Kevin Rollason

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca