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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.