Mobile vaccine clinic in Winnipeg receives $260K boost

LoriAnn Laramee, public health nurse, draws up COVID-19 vaccine into syringes in the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Wednesday, December 16, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

As COVID-19 continues to spread in Canada, the federal government is providing more than $265,000 to support a Winnipeg health centre’s vaccine efforts.

On Tuesday, Dan Vandal, MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital and minister of northern affairs, announced that the Government of Canada is investing $265,732 to support Winnipeg’s Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre’s (AHWC) mobile outreach vaccination clinic.

This mobile vaccine clinic works to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake through Indigenous-led outreach and initiatives. The federal government added that the AHWC also coordinates vaccine clinics for urban Indigenous and marginalized people in downtown Winnipeg.

“The Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg’s AHWC Mobile Outreach Vaccination Clinic is doing important work in support of Indigenous and vulnerable populations in Winnipeg,” Vandal said in a news release.

“Thanks to this project, flexible COVID-19 vaccine clinics are helping to improve vaccine access, and keeping people healthy and safe.”

The funding for this investment comes from the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF), which supports COVID-19 vaccine efforts. The IPF’s investments are aimed at helping populations with lower vaccine uptake through initiatives that are evidence-based and equity-oriented.

The Government of Canada reminds residents that staying up-to-date on your vaccinations improves your protection against COVID-19 and reduces the strain on the health-care system.