Push to overcome vaccine hesitancy heating up

The province is putting $14 million toward improving vaccine uptake through mini-clinics and pooling of data.

Essentially, physicians will be compiling data on vaccinated patients and creating a roster so they can better target pockets of unvaccinated Manitobans. This funding will also make it easier for physicians and pharmacists to set aside time to be available to inform their patients.

“There are a lot of Manitobans for one reason or another who have held off getting vaccinated, there's lots of reasons for that, and I think having that individual approach and that one-on-one approach will really help make that a reality and help get those numbers up higher,” said Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba, during a news conference at the Nine Circles Community Health Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

The funds will also help train physicians and pharmacists to run the program and will be run in partnership with Doctors Manitoba, the Manitoba College of Family Physicians and the University of Manitoba to provide further support to providers in communities with low immunization rates. This approach has been piloted in B.C., and in two clinics in Manitoba — one in Thompson and one in Winnipeg's St. James neighbourhood.

These clinics will build off of the community clinic program, except it will have a higher intensity with a target of hitting 100 clinics a week throughout the province.

Manitoba is currently sitting at 84.4% of eligible people with at least one dose of vaccine, while 79.5% have both doses.

There are still large pockets of the province which have low vaccine uptake, particularly in the south.

The RM of Stanley has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country at 23.9% while Winkler is at 40.8% and has been a central point of confrontation between those opposing vaccinations and health orders and those promoting them.

It is to the point where Winkler Police Service Chief Ryan Hunt made a plea for cooler heads and peace between the two sides on Sunday.

Premier Kelvin Goertzen addressed these concerns on Tuesday morning, saying it is important for Manitobans to work together.