Manitoba changing eligibility for fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose
Manitoba's top doctor says health officials are changing the eligibility for a second COVID-19 booster vaccine.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said anyone over the age of 50 is now eligible to receive their fourth vaccine dose, while Indigenous people 30 or older can receive the booster.
Roussin also noted the interval between doses is being decreased as well, dropping from six months to four months.
"Vaccination is the best way to protect ourselves. So please, if you haven't received your first, second or third dose, please get that as soon as you are eligible for, as soon as you become eligible for it," said Roussin.
This comes as Roussin said COVID-19 levels are stabilizing in Manitoba, according to recently collected data.
"This wave has been predominately a BA.2 wave. Almost all of our sequencing has been BA.2," said Roussin.
He noted there have been downward trends in both hospital and ICU admissions, noting those stats have peaked already in Manitoba.
Roussin also addressed the number of deaths that have been reported recently in the province, 16 in the week of May 8 to 14.
"There are a number of factors at play. One is just the nature of Omicron, the way we see such widespread infection," he said. "The other thing is just the nature of that Public Health isn't investigating each of these cases. So just like in (the) hospital, where we see you know, 75 per cent of people admitted there with COVID, aren’t there for COVID. So it's very likely we are seeing things that are incidentally related."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.