Last provincially run COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Manitoba set to close by end of the month

The last provincially run COVID-19 vaccine clinic will shut down by the end of the month, Manitoba Health says.

The Notre Dame vaccine clinic is the last running site as part of the provincial COVID-19 vaccine campaign, and will administer its final jabs on Feb. 25, according to the province's Feb. 16 COVID-19 bulletin.

That site provided nearly 25,000 COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, the bulletin said. It was one of 11 sites across the province, which administered about half of the 3.4 million doses given in Manitoba since December 2020.

The provincially led vaccine sites also offered seasonal flu shots and childhood immunizations during that period, Manitoba Health said.

Various ACCESS centres throughout Winnipeg will hold vaccine clinics beginning in March, the bulletin said. The upcoming clinics, operated by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, are scheduled for the following dates:

• March 1, 1 to 6 p.m., ACCESS St. Boniface, 170 Goulet St.
• March 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., ACCESS Transcona, 845 Regent Ave. West.
• March 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., ACCESS Winnipeg West, 280 Booth Dr.
• March 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,Downtown West Community Health & Social Services Centre, 755 Portage Ave.

More information about the clinics can be found on the province's website, and appointments can be made online or by phone. Walk-ins will also be available.

It may be six months since some Manitobans have received their last booster dose, and the province said last week people who have already received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine are not eligible to receive another at the moment.

They're waiting for an update from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which is expected in the coming months, to give guidance about additional COVID-19 booster doses. People with questions about their COVID-19 immunization should speak to their health-care provider.

Changes are also being made to the Manitoba immunization card and verifier apps, according to the Feb. 10 bulletin. QR code access will be removed from the immunization app, while the Manitoba verifier app has been discontinued.

Both of the apps have been removed from Apple and Google Play stores, and physical immunization cards are no longer available in Manitoba, the bulletin said.

Although the Manitoba QR code won't be available, the immunization app will continue to display the pan-Canadian proof of vaccination credentials, which is recognized outside the province and is still needed for some international travel, including entering the United States by air.