WINNIPEG

First COVID-19 vaccines administered to the general public in Manitoba

Simon Stones Assignment Editor

Published Monday, March 1, 2021 5:26PM CST Last Updated Monday, March 1, 2021 5:56PM CST

Nina Luhowy, 93, gets her shot at the COVID-19 vaccination super site in Winnipeg on Monday, March 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin King - POOL

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WINNIPEG -- COVID-19 vaccination appointments are now being taken for four supersites in the province, with the first members of the general public vaccinated Monday at the RBC Convention Centre.

“I’m feeling good,” said Nina Luhowy, the first vaccine recipient, at the RBC supersite in Winnipeg.

When asked if she was looking forward to receiving both vaccine doses, she said yes.

“Yeah. I guess everybody is feeling that way, waiting,” she said. “Will it help? Who knows. It takes a long time for everybody to get through with this too, the two needles.”

Eligible people can now book their shots for supersites in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, and Selkirk. The eligibility also expanded a little, going from people born on or before December 31, 1928, to December 31, 1930. The province will update vaccination eligibility by one-year increments, based on vaccine supply.

For First Nations people, the new criteria include people born on or before December 31, 1950.

The province said the average wait time to make an appointment is about one minute, and call-backs are available.

The Selkirk vaccination supersite is scheduled to be open on March 8. Vaxport, the supersite in Thompson, will begin vaccinations for several northern communities this week. Wabowden, Herb Lake Landing, Snow Lake, Grand Rapids, and Misipawistik are all taking part in the pilot phase. They were chosen based on their readiness and their ability to travel for the vaccine.

More details on the Morden supersite have yet to be released.

Also this week, Focused Immunization teams (FITs) will be travelling to 120 different congregate living facilities throughout the province affecting about 4,800 people.

The province said 500 medical clinics have applied to become part of the immunization campaign.

As of March 1, 76,670 doses have been administered, with 47,780 being first doses and 28, 890 being second doses.

So far, Manitoba has received 108,460 doses of the different COVID-19 vaccines, including 79,560 from Pfizer and another 28,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Details about the newly approved AstraZeneca vaccine and the number of doses coming to Manitoba have not been released.