WINNIPEG – Medical leaders for the province say we currently rank second in the country for total population fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per capita, as Manitoba reaches what it calls an important milestone in protecting Manitobans against COVID-19. Medical lead for Manitoba’s Vaccine Implementation Task Force Dr. Joss Reimer says the province has now given out over 50,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, with more than 33,900 first doses, and more than 16,600 second doses administered.

Dr. Reimer says the task force is working to build capacity to book 5,000 to 10,000 appointments every day, with wait times of less than 10 minutes, and an additional 5,000 to 10,000 bookings every day using an online self-service system. She notes they expect to vaccinate around 2,600 personal care home residents this week with a second vaccine dose. At the start of the month, Dr. Reimer had announced that all PCH residents in the province who wanted to be vaccinated have been.

The province also says delays by Health Canada in approving new labeling for vials of the Pfizer vaccine will cause a slight delay of its plan to immunize Manitobans older than 80 years of age. Provincial health officials continue to expand eligibility to include more health care and homecare workers, as well as people born on or before December 31st, 1980, meaning people five years younger than before can now call to make an appointment to get the shot.

Manitoba has received just over 66,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses so far, including more than 43,000 Pfizer doses, and 22,800 doses of Moderna’s vaccine, and expects to receive more than 3,500 doses of Pfizer’s in the next few days, and more than 15,000 some time in the next week.