Shot of disappointment

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This article was published 26/01/2021 (1432 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Teachers’ Society president James Bedford said the omission of education staff from the province’s COVID-19 vaccine priority groups is a slap in the face to teachers.

On Wednesday, the provincial government’s vaccine implementation task force released its plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to three priority groups — health care workers and congregate living staff, congregate living residents and First Nations — and the general public over the next seven months.

Essential workers, including teachers, are not prioritized for early access in the current version of the plan.

Public health officials say they will be holding stakeholder consultation and reviewing COVID-19 epidemiology and risk before deciding whether to add more priority groups under the banner of essential workers.

“In Ontario, it’s clear in their plan, public education comes next — in maybe what we’ll call their second-tier — after health-care, after long-term care homes. There was a real expectation Manitoba was going to follow that lead,” Bedford said on Wednesday.

The premier, as well as the former and current education minister, have publicly applauded educators for their work in keeping schools safe since September, said Bedford.

“Today, teachers were really looking for action: translate those words into action and acknowledge the essential work that teachers have been doing and that everyone has been doing in the public education system in the most difficult of circumstances this year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Inclusion Winnipeg executive director Janet Forbes said the province also needs to take a second look at prioritizing people with intellectual disabilities, particularly those who have conditions that may make them more vulnerable to the disease, for early access to the vaccine.

“We also know that there are some people who age differently, like people with Down syndrome,” Forbes said, noting many live in the community and sometimes with elderly parents and family members. “We do want there to be some exceptions for people who have underlying health conditions.”

As it stands, the province does not plan to prioritize Manitobans with chronic health conditions or disabilities for early access. However, residents of congregate living settings, such as supported living facilities or assisted living, will be targeted for vaccines, via focused immunization teams, beginning Feb. 1.

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead with the vaccine implementation task force, said the age based approach captures the most conditions and high risk scenarios better than if people were prioritized based on specific health conditions.

“It’s certainly not going to be perfect for every individual in Manitoba, but (research) does show us that that is the way we can capture the most high risk people in the right order,” Reimer said. “As science evolves, as we learn more about these vaccine rollouts, we will be looking at that regularly.”

— with files from Maggie Macintosh

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca