Get your kids vaccinated against COVID-19

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This article was published 10/12/2021 (536 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Nov. 19, Health Canada officially approved COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of five and 11. Now,over 100,000 children aged 5 to 11 across Manitoba will finally have a chance to roll up their sleeves and get the protection they need from COVID-19.

Thousands of children in this age category have already received their first shots this month. I want to especially thank all the front-line workers at the vaccine clinics, from immunizers to navigators and everyone else, for their tireless work and efforts to get Manitobans vaccinated and the thoughtful ways in which the provide vaccines to our children.

I, along with health care professionals across our province and the world, encourage parents and caregiver families to make appointments as soon as possible. Families in Union Station want the best for their kids and can trust that the COVID-19 shots have been rigorously tested, are safe and are saving lives.

Right now, children under the age of 12 make up a third of COVID cases in Manitoba, and COVID is continuing to disrupt our children’s education. Manitoba declared as many COVID-19 outbreaks in schools within the first seven weeks of this school year as it did in all of the previous school year. That is why getting children vaccinated is so crucial. It will not just prevent kids from severe outcomes, but break up chains of transmission that we see in communities that lead to large outbreaks and school closures.

Also, it’s so important that all of us eligible adults get their third COVID-19 shot as soon as we can. If you forget when exactly you got your second shot, you can find out by logging into your Shared Health account.

All parents can also make an appointment online with an email address and health card number, or by phone at 1-844-626-8222. For parents looking to book appointments for two or more children, health officials recommend booking by phone, as it’s faster when making multiple appointments.

Do you have any questions about the new vaccine roll-out? Do you need help navigating this? I want to hear from you. Please contact me with any questions or concerns at 204-306-8581 or uzoma.asagwara@yourmanitoba.ca

Uzoma Asagwara
Union Station constituency report

Uzoma Asagwara is the NDP MLA for Union Station.

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