Indigenous people in Manitoba encouraged to get COVID booster shot
Some Indigenous leaders in Manitoba got their COVID-19 booster shots on Monday and are encouraging their community members to do the same.
Dr. Marcia Anderson, the medical lead of the province's First Nations Pandemic Response Team, administered shots for Grand Chief Arlen Dumas and her own father.
She said while booster shots are available to all Manitobans over 18 years of age six months after their second dose, health officials said they haven't seen as many First Nations people showing up as they would like.
"We all know breakthrough infections are happening and although (they) tend to be less severe, not seeing high hospitalizations for example, they do still really impact transmission in the communities, outbreaks, transmission to other family members," said Anderson.
"As we're heading into the holiday season, where there will be more gatherings, we want everyone to come in and get their booster as soon as they're eligible."
Anderson said she isn't sure the exact reason why the booster uptake isn't as high right now but suggests people might not be prioritizing the booster shot or they may not even be aware that they are eligible to get the third shot.
Dumas said it is important for him to get the booster shot, especially with other variants becoming more known.
"Anything we can do to make ourselves safer and create more of a buffer for communities, the better it is for anyone," said Dumas.
He said he trusts the science and credibility of the medical experts in the province.
"The medicine is working. It has protected our Elders, it's protected everybody."
Dumas said he believes everyone has a responsibility to continue to protect one another with the booster shot.
Anderson said people should check when they got their second dose and if it has been six months they should book for their booster shot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.