Second COVID-19 vaccine walk-ins open to youth this week

Walk-in vaccinations at a Winnipeg supersite are opening up to include young people aged 12 to 17.

After over a week of uncertainty with second COVID-19 vaccines for youth, on Friday second doses for those aged 12 to 17 opened. Now, the province says Pfizer vaccines are now possible at the Leila super site's walk-in site.

"Approximately 330 doses will be available daily. In anticipation of significant demand, individuals in line will be given a colour-coded ticket, which will identify a time slot later the same day when they will be able to get their vaccine," the province says in a statement.

This will run Wednesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to approximately 3:30 p.m. this week.

A slowdown of Pfizer vaccines, the only vaccine youth are eligible for, meant the exclusion of 12 to 17-year-olds in vaccination appointments for much of last week. Since the announcement, caregivers have been giving up their Pfizer vaccines and given them to young people, taking Moderna instead. This is still allowed.

Appointments can be booked online or by calling 1-844-MAN-VACC (1-844-626-8222).

Ten per cent of all available daily doses are available for walk-ins at Manitoba's supersites. 

"Sites will continue to prioritize first-dose immunizations for walk-ins when possible."

Starting Monday, Leila and the RBC Convention Centre's sites are extending their appointment hours into the evening until 10 p.m.

This week 178,080 doses of Moderna and 87,750 doses of Pfizer are expected.

To date, 1,005,030 doses of Pfizer, 542,500 doses of Moderna, and 91,760 doses of AstraZeneca have been delivered.