Union Station residents deserve vaccine accessibility

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This article was published 28/06/2021 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over the past few months, Union Station community members have eagerly awaited their chance to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Now we are entering the phase of second dose eligibility, but some Union Station constituents have yet to receive their first doses.

The Pallister government has not made it accessible for all Manitobans to receive the vaccine, and this is particularly true for folks living with disabilities, seniors and migrant workers.

The government has continued to ignore calls to create more pop-up sites and mobile clinics.

Further to this, many community members require the support of a safe ride program to bring them to vaccination sites, but the government has also not listened to our calls on this matter, which has left many vulnerable community members unvaccinated. These ongoing barriers for folks living with disabilities, seniors and migrant workers are unacceptable — all Manitobans need and deserve equitable access to the vaccine.

Some pop-up clinics that I have heard of continue to run out of vaccines within hours, which is great but this does show us the need for more sites to help folks get immunized closer to home. There is clearly high interest in community members being vaccinated, but the resources are simply not meeting the demand.

It is evident that community members in Union Station and all Manitobans would utilize vaccine clinics with expanded hours, seven days a week if they were created but unfortunately the government is unwilling to meet such demands.

In addition, the main model for vaccine sign-up has often required internet and phone access, and sometimes requiring folks to have a car; this model is not beneficial to the various lived experiences of folks in Union Station. It is imperative that the government reassesses where current faults are and acts upon them immediately to ensure equity for all.

I continue to hear from folks in the community that they are upset with the inaccessibility of the vaccines, and that they feel deflated since their concerns continue to be ignored. I will continue to champion all of your feedback, and share news with you as soon as it is available. I know Union Station community members remain eager to see their loved ones over summer, and we need the government to step up and commit to ensuring accessibility and equity for vaccines exists for everyone.

Our office is ready to support you getting a vaccine. If you’d like to connect with my office, don’t hesitate to reach out. The constituency office is located at Unit 1-331 Smith St. Call 204-306-8581 or email uzoma.asagwara@yourmanitoba.ca

Uzoma Asagwara
Union Station constituency report

Uzoma Asagwara is the NDP MLA for Union Station.

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