September 9, 2022
COVID-19 Bulletin #584
Manitoba Health advises that people who are eligible for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine can begin booking appointments on Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. using the online booking tool, by contacting the vaccine call centre at (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC) or by contacting medical clinics and pharmacies directly.
Appointments will be available beginning Sept. 14. The online vaccine finder map will be updated next week with all of the locations where the bivalent vaccine is available.
The bivalent vaccine has been developed to provide protection against two strains of COVID-19: the original strain of the virus and the omicron variant. Initial eligibility criteria for this vaccine includes:
- adults aged 65 or older;
- Indigenous people aged 18 or older, regardless of where they live;
- individuals aged 18 or older with higher-risk medical conditions, including people who are immunocompromised due to a health condition or medication and those who are pregnant;
- health-care workers aged 18 or older, including fire/paramedic first responders; and
- residents of personal care homes and other congregate living facilities including assisted living, group homes, shelters and correctional facilities.
Manitoba received its first shipment of 27,650 doses of vaccine today and will begin filling orders and shipping the vaccine to locations across the province as quickly as possible. A second shipment of 77,600 doses will be delivered from the federal government during the week of Sept. 12.
Additionally, as of Sept. 12, anyone aged 12 and older can receive a booster of the monovalent (original) vaccine if they choose. However, it is recommended that all adults wait for access to a bivalent vaccine, as it provides additional protection from omicron variants of COVID-19. The province expects to be able to expand eligibility for the bivalent vaccine to all Manitobans aged 18 and older in the coming weeks, based on vaccine shipments from the federal government and initial uptake among eligible groups. Updates will continue to be provided to Manitobans about eligibility and supply.
Walk-in vaccinations will no longer be available at RBC Convention Centre after tomorrow, Sept. 10. The last day of operations at the convention centre will be Sept. 17. The vaccine clinic in Winnipeg will transition to 1680 Notre Dame Ave., with the first appointments available Sept. 20. Walk-ins will not be available at this location.
The EngageMB survey to gather Manitobans’ perspectives on the bivalent vaccine closes today. To participate, visit https://engagemb.ca.
The province recommends that Manitobans keep a supply of rapid antigen tests at home. These tests are available at many locations across the province, including pharmacies, grocery stores and libraries. To help locate convenient pickup locations, an online map is available at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/locations.html.
People who have Abbott PanBio rapid tests at home should know that Health Canada has extended the shelf life of these tests to 24 months from the date the tests were manufactured. This extension occurred after the packages were printed, so expiry dates may now be inaccurate. Individuals who have these rapid tests at home should use the date of manufacture printed on the packaging and add 24 months to determine the true expiry date.
Additional Resources
- COVID-19 in Manitoba: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/
- Vaccine campaign: https://protectmb.ca/ and https://manitoba.ca/vaccine
- Testing information: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/testing/index.html
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