Oldest Manitobans now eligible for vaccine appointments

Manitobans 95 and older and First Nations people 75 and over can now book appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, the government announced Wednesday.

"I'm personallyveryexcitedto be announcing that we're expanding into general population and I'm looking forward to decrease the age of eligibility continually over time," said Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the provincial vaccine task force.

The eligibility is for all Manitobans born Dec. 31, 1925, or earlier, and all First Nations people born Dec. 31, 1945, or earlier.

Given that some elderly people might have difficulty booking appointments for themselves, family members and caregivers can call to make appointments for someone else, as well as accompany them to the clinic.

People calling willneed to provide the number on the health card of the person getting the vaccine. The number to call is 1-844-626-8222.

WATCH |Oldest Manitobans now eligible for vaccine appointments:

Oldest Manitobans now eligible for vaccine appointments

4 years ago

Duration 2:08

Manitobans 95 and older and First Nations people 75 and over can now book appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, the government announced Wednesday.

This is the first time members of the general public, outside of congregate living settings or certain front-line professions, have become eligible to receive the vaccine in Manitoba.

To manage the anticipated influx of calls, the number of phonelines at the call centre has been increased to 2,000 and there are 370 trained agents to take bookings, Reimer said.

"We know Manitobansare eager for this moment and many of youare going to want to call right away," shesaid, but asked Manitobans for patience and to only call if making an appointment for an eligible person.

Appointments for first and second doses will be made a the same time.

When calling, peoplewill first get an automated voice recording for initial eligibility screening.

Iftheypass that, they will proceed to an agent who will aska more detailedset of questions to confirm eligibility. People will be asked to provide a phone number or email address, although agents will still book an appointment if those aren't available.

WATCH |Dr. Joss Reimer says supersites will aim to be accessible for elderly vaccine recipients:

Dr. Joss Reimer says supersites will aim to be accessible for elderly vaccine recipients

4 years ago

Duration 1:20

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the provincial vaccine task force, said Wednesday elderly vaccine recipients may bring a support person with them to their appointment, and supersites are striving to be safe and welcoming for all.

An online booking process is in the testing phase. That system will require an email address and public health information number.

The province also continues to ramp up vaccination capacity, with a goal of being able to administer 20,000 shots a day.

The next immunization supersite planned for Manitoba will be at theformer Selkirk and District General Hospital at 100 Easton Dr. in Selkirk. It is set to open in early March and willserve as a hub for the Interlake-Eastern health region.

Another supersite serving the Southern Health region will be in the Morden-Winkler area, opening sometime in mid-March. Officials have not yet announced the exact location.

First Nations eligibility

Right now, people who self-identify as First Nations will not be asked to provide proof, but that will eventually change, saidDr. Marcia Anderson, lead for the Manitoba First Nations pandemic response team.

Anderson said she would prefer First Nations people simply self-identify without needing to provide proof.

"This would be more in line with Indigenous rights and would respect the ways that colonization has served to disenfranchise First Nations people," she said.

However, there are those who would take advantage of that, she said.

"Too often, we see the pretendian phenomena, where people falsely identify as First Nations, or provide distant or tenuous ancestral connections for personal gains."

When people call to book an appointment, they will be asked if they self-identify as First Nations. If they do, they will then proceed to an agent with specialized training to confirm their identity.

WATCH |Dr. Marcia Anderson says First Nations people will need to provide proof of identityto access vaccine:

Dr. Marcia Anderson says First Nations people will need to provide proof of identity in future to access vaccine

4 years ago

Duration 1:39

Dr. Marcia Anderson, lead for the Manitoba First Nations pandemic response team, said Wednesday that while she would prefer if First Nations people could simply self-identify to access the vaccine, that approach could allow others to cheat the system by falsely claiming First Nations identity.

Eventually, if a person doesn't have a status card, they will be asked to provide one from a first-degree relative, such as a parent, grandparent or sibling. If this isn't possible, then there will be"an escalation process to deal with these cases in a trauma-informed and culturally safe way," Anderson said.

"This process is not perfect, but it will help make sure that First Nations people do have access to the vaccine as soon as possible, and it willhelp us savethe vaccine for those who are most at risk."

The pandemic is disproportionately affecting First Nations people in Manitoba, who account for two-thirds of all active COVID-19 infections in the province.

As of Friday, Manitoba had 788 active cases involving First Nations people, amounting to 67 per cent of all cases. First Nations people make up about 10 per cent of the province'spopulation.

That is one of the key reasons Manitoba has prioritizedFirst Nations people in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout strategy.

Earlier this month, a vaccination pop-up site opened in Winnipegto immunize health-care workers employed in Manitoba First Nations communities as well as Indigenous traditional healers and knowledge keepers.

Manitoba government daily briefing on coronavirus: Feb. 24

4 years ago

Duration 44:51

Provincial officials give update on COVID-19 outbreak: Wednesday, February 24, 2021.