WINNIPEG -- Those who are immunocompromised in Manitoba are wanting to see the province prioritize them for the vaccine.

Two health priority lists were made for the AstraZeneca jab, but a gap has developed – if someone is under 40 and has a pre-existing condition but doesn't live in a priority area, they aren't eligible for a first dose.

Christine Wu has been battling lung cancer that has spread to her brain since 2015. She is in targeted therapy and has largely stayed home since the start of the pandemic.

"I don't have contact with anybody," said Wu, who said she hasn't seen in her parents in more than a year.

If Wu were to get COVID-19, she could become severely sick because she is immunocompromised.

The province has focused on age and most recently, location, in its vaccine rollout.

"These are impossible decisions. We are constantly having to choose between one group or another because we don't have enough doses," said Dr. Joss Reimer, the medical lead for the Vaccine Implementation Task Force.

Reimer said originally the hope was to have the AstraZeneca used for health conditions.

"But with the appearance of the still rare but present blood clots and low platelets, that ruins those plans at least temporarily."

She added the idea of targeting certain health conditions is not off the table.

"We met with (medical advisors) yesterday to look through different health conditions to assess what the increased risks really are."

Wu is 56 years old and eligible for AstraZeneca. She has booked an appointment for her first dose, but her concern is about round two of the vaccine.

"To wait for the second dose of the vaccine is really the problem," said Wu.

She said there are studies that show cancer patients benefit from getting the second dose in three weeks compared to the current timeframe in Manitoba which is up to four months.

"We have the right to be alive, right?"

Other provinces have prioritized medical conditions such as pregnant women in Ontario and even younger people categorized as vulnerable can get the shot in Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.