Province urged to issue vaccine cards

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This article was published 01/02/2021 (1425 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Physicians hope Manitoba issues COVID-19 vaccination cards to prevent a rush of people who demand records from their doctors so they can board a plane once travel is permitted.

Vaccinations are moving at a snail’s pace, and widespread lockdowns mean no one who has been immunized gets special treatment. However, governments are preparing for situations in which vaccinated people get access to certain privileges or jobs.

Manitoba, unlike other provinces, hasn’t yet decided whether it will provide a paper card and/or online record to people who have been vaccinated.

“We have teams that are exploring some online or some card options, to make it easier for Manitobans to get access to their own information,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, the medical lead for Manitoba’s vaccine rollout.

Reimer said she did not know when a decision would be made or whether the province is leaning toward a paper or online record.

Provinces track all immunizations in digital registries, and it’s fairly easy for Manitobans to have their local public health office print a copy of shots they have received dating back to 1981.

Reimer said she’d prefer Manitobans approach public health instead of their primary care provider, but Doctors Manitoba is concerned people will still be relying on a family doctor to pull their records.

The lobby group said it would make sense to provide some sort of record at the point of immunization, so that people don’t need to request those documents later.

“A vaccine card like this can be useful for many reasons, including for patient safety,” wrote Doctors Manitoba spokesman Keir Johnson.

“The card would note which type of vaccine you received to ensure you get the same type for your second shot. It can also serve as a reminder on when you should get your second dose.”

NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said Manitoba should have had its ducks in a row already, particularly so people can track when they need a booster shot, and for which vaccine.

“We seem to be playing catch-up,” Asagwara said. “The information needs to be provided in a manner that is accessible and manageable for folks.”

In the Yukon, everyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccine is supposed to receive a paper that folds in half into the size of a business card, with their name and vaccine type written on the inside, with spaces for two doses.

The cards include the lot number of the vaccine shipment, which can help patients if issues later emerge.

Theoretically, that might include getting doses from an expired shipment, or to track if they received a vaccine before it was modified to deal with emerging variants.

In Ontario, vaccinated nurses receive a printout similar to a grocery store receipt. Saskatchewan has pledged to give out cards at vaccination sites. British Columbia soon plans to issue cards, similar to what is done in the Yukon.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention provides a standardized paper card for COVID-19 vaccinations across the country.

Asagwara is baffled Manitoba has yet to introduce a card or an online registry to book appointments.

The MLA said the public loses confidence when mistakes occur, such as when text messages that ordered people to go to the wrong site were sent.

“Manitobans are scratching their heads as to why these things weren’t laid out in advance,” Asagwara said.

The Pallister government responded to NDP criticism by noting it has one of the highest rates of fully immunized people.

“The Vaccine Implementation Task Force continues to work with stakeholders, including Doctors Manitoba, to identify and address the logistical needs of rolling out this vaccine,” wrote PC government spokesman Brant Batters.

“Instead of degrading their efforts, we encourage the NDP to recognize and thank the hundreds of public servants and medical experts who are working hard to protect Manitobans from COVID-19.”

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca