WINNIPEG – The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be injected in Manitoba today.

Premier Brian Pallister calls it a small but critical first step in helping to protect those most at risk from COVID-19.

This initial round of 900 shots will be given over the next couple days at the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences in downtown Winnipeg.

The second doses in a few weeks will be administered at a new “supersite” that’s being established at the RBC Convention Centre.

Because this vaccine needs to be stored at ultra low temperatures, Pallister says 60 freezers have been acquired which will be able to store 1.8 million doses of the vaccine.