Manitoba health officials shorten timeline between doses, urge residents to get vaccine booster immediately

WINNIPEG -

Health officials are shortening the timeline for some Manitobans to get their vaccine booster shot ahead of the holiday season.

The province is now recommending Manitobans who are 60 years of age or older and have received their second dose on or before July 10, and all Manitobans 18 or older living in a First Nations community, should get a third dose as soon as possible.

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the vaccine task force, made the announcement Friday afternoon during a news conference.

The current recommendation for Manitobans under 60 to wait six months between the second and third dose hasn’t changed.

Reimer is also urging Manitobans to get a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they’re eligible, citing the recent rise in cases.

“The increasing new cases are concerning,” Reimer said. “Right now, our health-care system is significantly strained. Responding to these cases will become even more difficult.”

She added the combination of waning immunity, group indoor gatherings, and breakthrough cases across the province is a concern, and says with the holidays coming up, the risk of local spread is greatly increased.

“Please put the booster at the top of your holiday to-do list, and don’t put it off until after the holidays,” Reimer said.

Dr. Marcia Anderson, the medical lead for the First Nations Pandemic Response Team, also urged First Nations adults to get their booster shots, saying uptake isn’t very high right now among most communities.

She said case counts are lower than in previous months in those communities.

“When cases are lower, there can be a perception of lower risk,” Anderson said. “People can be less inclined to get their booster shot in a timely way because it’s seen as less of a concern. What we have seen though is that when a cluster starts, it can spread rapidly in our communities.”

Parents are also encouraged to book second dose appointments for children ages five and up if they haven’t done it yet.