Manitoba approves COVID-19 booster vaccines to First Nations people living on reserve
Manitoba public health officials are now recommending a third COVID-19 shot for First Nations people living on reserve.
Officials said the dose should only be given at least six months after a person’s last vaccine.
Dr. Marcia Anderson, the public health lead for First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team, said the risk of a severe outcome for fully vaccinated individuals is much lower than for those who are not, but noted some severe outcomes have been observed in individuals who received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Due to context within First Nations communities, it’s essential that we decrease transmission as well as preserve our local health care capacity,” said Anderson.
As of October 15, 36 new cases of COVID-19 were reported among First Nations, which represents 39 per cent of all cases in the province. Of those cases, 31 were on reserve.
Anderson said First Nations are also seeing rising hospitalization rates, with 28 people in hospital on Friday, with five patients in the ICU.
Test positivity rates on reserve are the highest in the province at 10 per cent. While the majority of positive COVID-19 cases have been identified in the north, Anderson said 17 different First Nation communities have active cases.
Anderson said the number of breakthrough infections has been increasing since August, but said it’s unclear if this is due to waning immunity or to other factors like overcrowded housing that can contribute to increased transmission rates.
About two thirds of those breakthrough infections are happening on reserve
“The combination of time since vaccination, plus viral load because of these factors is what I think we are seeing here,” said Anderson.
The Integrated Vaccine Operations Centre will oversee the third dose rollout and co-ordinate other supports that communities may need. Third doses are expected to be available in all 63 communities to those eligible within the month.
Due to the initial First Nation vaccine rollout, the booster shot will first be given to elders, people age 60-years-old and older in remote First Nation communities, 70-year-old and up in non-isolated areas and to health-care workers.
The vaccine given will be predominately Moderna, to match previously given vaccines.
Anderson said work is currently underway to identify those eligible for the booster as well as identifying any individuals who have yet to be fully vaccinated.
Public health officials estimate this will affect about 7,200 individuals.
“I’m hopeful that this boost to the immune system of people who are fully vaccinated to decrease transmission in the communities and dampen the impacts of the fourth wave overall,” said Anderson.
A timeline for booster shots for off reserve First Nations people was not given.
The expansion comes as Norway House Cree Nation is asking for help to manage an outbreak.
Chief Larson Anderson said cases are rising daily in the community – hitting 234 total cases on Saturday.
He said the community located about 800 km north of Winnipeg needs a team to come in and help with contact tracing and testing.
"We are doing everything we can to contain these positive cases," Larson said in a statement.
"Our teams are exhausted and burnt out."
As for other higher-risk BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) groups, Anderson said due to the vaccine rollout, there would not be very many individuals who had passed the six-month mark from their second dose.
Overall, almost 200,000 vaccine doses have been administered to approximately 105,000 First Nation people.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israel gave U.S. last-minute warning about drone attack on Iran, Italian foreign minister says at G7
The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received 'last minute' information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, but didn't participate in the apparent attack, officials said.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.