Lengthy list of high-risk Manitobans eligible for vaccination

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This article was published 30/04/2021 (1962 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brenda Millan didn’t qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine before her scheduled breast cancer surgery next week, but she’s thrilled she’ll be able to get one not long after.

After weeks of mounting pressure to vaccinate more people with underlying health conditions, the province dropped age eligibility for residents with certain “priority” health conditions to 30 from 50-65, where it had been since March 10.

They will be able to receive the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine at medical clinics and pharmacies.

“I’m glad they are listening to the public,” said the 34-year-old Millan. “High-risk people will now get the chance to get the shot they need to maintain their health.”

In addition, the province announced eligibility for vaccination at supersites and pop-up clinics was being expanded to include people age 18 and older in various categories, including: pregnant women; clients of Community Living disABILITY Services; anyone working in any health-care setting including outpatient settings; and workers at the vaccine warehouse.

And anyone 18 or older living or working in specified jobs in an expanded list of hot-spot communities with rising case numbers are eligible. They include:

• Prairie Mountain Health — Brandon East End and Brandon Downtown

• Winnipeg Regional Health Authority — Inkster West, Fort Garry South, Seven Oaks West, Downtown East, Point Douglas South, Inkster East, Point Douglas North and Downtown West.

• Interlake–Eastern Regional Health Authority — Powerview-Pine Falls.

• All adults who live or work (in any role) in the Northern Regional Health Authority, including Churchill.

Janet Forbes, executive director of Inclusion Winnipeg, said she welcomes the changes for people with disabilities, but hopes the rest of the high-risk population is vaccinated before long, as well.

“Expanding vaccine access to people who rely on personal support is necessary and the right thing to do,” said Forbes.

“We have a moral obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens and there are still many… who do not yet have access. We unapologetically want full access for our most vulnerable citizens today.”

On March 10, Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the vaccine task force, announced two lists of people age 50-65 with priority high-risk health conditions and disabilities could be vaccinated, including chemotherapy patients, organ-transplant recipients and people with Down syndrome. As well, pregnant women over the age of 35 could also be immunized.

At the time, general age eligibility was limited to First Nations members over 65 and other members of the public 80 and older.

On March 29, health officials stopped offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people younger than 55 while a rare side-effect causing blood clots was investigated. The province again changed eligibility criteria for that product on April 19, opening up eligibility to anyone 40 or older.

On April 23, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended that the AstraZeneca shot be offered to people 30 years of age and older, if the person doesn’t want to wait for an mRNA vaccine and the benefits of receiving the vaccine outweigh the risk.

There were at least 18,491 available doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine Friday, provincial data showed.

 

Meanwhile, CancerCare Manitoba has been working with public health officials and the task force to get vaccines to cancer patients at increased risk, no matter what their age.

“Because of the complexity of cancer treatment and the type and timing of treatment, we provide patient-specific counselling regarding COVID vaccination and have encouraged all patients to speak to their cancer team,” a CancerCare spokeswoman said.

Millan successfully battled breast cancer in 2018, but was diagnosed again last November. She had been getting chemotherapy until about a month ago and she’s slated to have surgery next week, as long as she has no COVID-19 symptoms.

That’s why she wanted to be vaccinated already.

“I have to take a COVID test before surgery and, if I test positive, the surgery would be delayed,” she said.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca