Manitoba Supports Expanded Role of Urban Indigenous COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

The Manitoba government has invested nearly $2.8 million to support and expand the role of urban Indigenous clinics and other outreach efforts intended to increase vaccination rates against COVID-19 among First Nation, Métis and Inuit people, Premier Kelvin Goertzen, Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon and Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere announced today in partnership with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs  and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak. 

To support immunization outreach by urban Indigenous clinics, among Indigenous people and in neighbourhoods with lower vaccine uptake, the province is investing:

• $2.1 million to extend immunization clinics at the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre locations in Winnipeg until December 2021;
• nearly $250,000 for these organizations to operate a mobile immunization clinic over the next several months, which will provide vaccines to people in Winnipeg’s downtown and Point Douglas neighbourhoods including door-to-door outreach;
• $347,000 to extend immunization clinics at Portage la Prairie Renewal Corporation in Portage la Prairie, Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre in Thompson and Brandon Friendship Centre in Brandon until December 2021;
• $65,000 to support a new staff position at Ongomiizwin Health Services who will act as a liaison between the Vaccine Implementation Task Force, Indigenous governance organizations and vaccine service providers to help ensure co-ordinated and strategic outreach; and
• $33,000 to support the immunization clinics held earlier this year by the Manitoba Inuit Association.

As part of this expanded investment, the clinics held by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre will now be fully open to all members of their communities in addition to Indigenous people. This will help ensure another COVID-19 immunization option is available to people who might otherwise face barriers in being immunized at other locations. They will also offer seasonal influenza vaccines this fall and provide youth catch-up immunizations for anyone who has missed regular vaccines at school over the last two years.

To date, more than 58,200 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered at the five urban Indigenous clinics in Manitoba.

For more information about Manitoba’s COVID-19 immunization campaign including the locations and hours of these clinics, visit http://protectmb.ca and www.protectourpeoplemb.ca. 

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