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The province is preparing to roll out its flu shot campaign in the coming days and weeks.
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Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer, said on Tuesday that they have distributed about 60% of their doses, and delivery has been completed to priority locations like hospitals, long-term care facilities and First Nations communities. They have also begun to get the vaccine out to other health-care providers and some pharmacies.
“Immunization against the flu has been shown to reduce the number of physician visits, hospitalizations and deaths, particularly among those who are of an increased risk of serious illness of the flu,” said Atwal.
“The health-care system remains at risk of the delta variant of COVID-19 as case numbers and hospitalizations are rising. Immunizing again this seasonal flu year protects yourself, those around you and the health-care system from increased hospitalizations and ICU admissions”
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Last year 31.5% of Manitobans got the flu shot, which is well behind COVID vaccination levels, but still an increase over the 2019-20 flu season when 26.5% of Manitobans got the shot.
The province only recorded seven cases of the flu all of last year, a considerable drop from most years. This is due to the COVID health orders in place and the fundamentals being practised.
Atwal is unsure of what to expect this year from the flu season as the countries in the southern hemisphere they generally use to project what could happen here had unreliable statistical flu seasons due to their own health orders and lockdowns in place. Australia, for example, had about 500 cases nationwide.
Southern Health still lags on vaccines
The province is now at 85.7% of eligible Manitobans with at least one dose of vaccine and 81.9% with two.
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Winnipeg still has the highest vaccination rates in the province at 88.3%, followed by Northern Health at 82.8%, Interlake-Eastern at 81.6%, Prairie Mountain at 80.4% and Southern Health at 66.7%
The RM of Stanley is at 24.9% uptake while Winkler is at 42.4% and Hanover is at 51.2%.
The vaccine implementation taskforce has administered 2,022,566 doses of vaccine. There are 600 vaccination appointments booked for Tuesday.
New school outbreak
An outbreak has been declared at Springs Christian Academy in Winnipeg with 11 cases, including two staff and nine students.
This brings the active outbreak count to three in Manitoba schools, joining Alonsa School (10 students) and Miniota School (two staff, students).
Outbreaks were declared over at Chemawawin Cree Nation and Salem Home in Winkler.
jaldrich@postmedia.com
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03
Province prepares to rollout flu shots - Winnipeg Sun
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