Failure to plan means inefficient vaccine rollout

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/01/2021 (1940 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I hope all families throughout west Winnipeg had a safe and wonderful holiday season. Though many of us missed our traditional holiday dinners and New Year’s celebrations, we can all take solace in the fact that our sacrifices have helped keep Manitobans safe.

While we have much to look forward to in 2021, Manitobans are still facing more uncertainty than they should be due to our provincial government’s failure to plan for an efficient vaccine rollout. At the time of writing this column, Manitoba had among the lowest per capita rates of vaccination in Canada, leaving thousands of seniors and vulnerable Manitobans wondering when they might expect to get their shots.

Instead of holding themselves accountable for their lack of planning, the Pallister government has been working to shift blame to the federal government by suggesting that it has yet to ship sufficient doses of the vaccine to Manitoba. The fact is, thousands of vaccine doses have been sitting idle in freezers while our government has been rushing to put together a last-minute plan.

The premier has also suggested that Manitoba faces unique vaccine distribution challenges due to the remoteness of our northern communities. The last I checked, almost every single other province faces this challenge. Our government needs to stop making excuses and should instead begin the work of fast-tracking the administration of vaccines to those who need them.

Preparation does not seem to be a strong suit of our current provincial government. The Pallister government had many months to develop a strategy which would have ensured a speedy vaccination rollout. Instead, it is just as unprepared now as it was for the second wave of COVID-19 in September. Our failure to prepare for this vaccine rollout is made all the more frustrating when considering the incredible sacrifices made by Manitoban families over the last 10 months. The province should be acting with a burning urgency, yet, it is simply not there.

Residents of St. James, and all Manitobans, deserve to know the vaccine rollout plan for our province.

I will continue to pressure our government to increase the urgency of its response and will be doing everything possible to ensure seniors and vulnerable Manitobans are able to access vaccines in the shortest time possible. This should currently be our highest priority.

Should you have any comments or questions about the vaccine rollout, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office by calling 204-792-8779 or by emailing adrien.sala@yourmanitoba.ca
We would love to hear from you.