Seasonal vaccination clinics will be popping up throughout the north this fall, including in Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage and Snow Lake.
Run by the Northern Health Region (NHR), vaccine clinics will be coming to 14 northern Manitoba communities, including Flin Flon and nearby towns. Each of the clinics will be coming over the next six weeks, including some that start this week.
In Flin Flon, a total of eight vaccination clinics will be held in Flin Flon between early November and mid-December. Those clinics will each take place in the R.H. Channing Auditorium, running from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 2, 9, 14, 18, 20 and 29, then again on Dec. 6 and 16.
Vaccinations in Cranberry Portage started earlier this week with a clinic Oct. 24 - a second clinic will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion office on Second Avenue Oct. 25 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Three more clinics will take place at the Cranberry Portage Wellness Centre, first on Oct. 31 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and two more on Nov. 1 and 7 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sherridon will have three clinics starting this week at the Sherridon Wellness Centre. Each will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and will take place on Oct. 26 and 30, as well as Nov. 6.
Snow Lake will have three clinics in early November. The first will happen on Nov. 2, running at the Laurie Marsh Community Hall from 1 p.m.-8 p.m., closing from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. before opening back up. After that, a second clinic will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the hall Nov. 3, followed by a third date at the Snow Lake Health Centre Nov. 14 - the times have not yet been confirmed by the NHR.
People coming to the clinics can opt for either the flu shot, the COVID-19 vaccine or both. All Manitobans over the age of six months with a Manitoba health card can get a flu shot free of charge, with seniors over age 65 eligible for a special high-dose vaccine. The shot is especially recommended for seniors, anyone living or working in a care home, infants and toddlers and anyone who works in health care, is pregnant or breastfeeding or who has a health condition that the flu can exacerbate, among others.
Manitobans ages six months and up can be vaccinated against COVID-19, either with Moderna or Pfizer brand vaccines. Both vaccines are approved for children between the ages of six months and four years. Doses can be done either as part of the primary series of shots or as booster doses, particularly ones now formulated to cover the XBB.1.5 omicron variant, which makes up the majority of new COVID-19 infections. A new formulation meant to protect from the specific variant was authorized by Health Canada last month for any Canadian age six months and up.
