Ad campaign fails to improve Manitoba's COVID-19 booster shot standing vs. rest of Canada

Manitoba is lagging even farther behind the Canadian average when it comes COVID-19 booster shots even though the province launched a digital media campaign aimed at convincing more people to get third doses.

As of April 10,50.5 per cent of Manitobans aged 12 and up had received at least three doses of a COVID vaccine. That was 3.8 percentage points below the Canadian average of 54.3 per cent.

In response to concerns about Manitoba's poor performance only Saskatchewan and Alberta had lower booster-shot rates Manitoba Health relaunched a digital and social media campaign called"Recharge Your Immunity" in early May.

The four-week campaign is intended to target Manitobans aged 35-65. But since it started, the gap between Manitoba and the Canadian average booster rate has grown.

As of May 10, 51per cent of Manitobans aged 12 and up had received at least three doses of a COVID vaccine. That leftthis province4.2percentage points below the Canadian average of 55.2per cent.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon declined to directly address the growing gap.

"Vaccination continues to be your best defence against severe COVID-19 infections," her office said in a statement.

"Manitoba Health recommends that you get vaccinated against COVID-19 including applicable boosters as you become eligible."

Late last week, virologist Jason Kindrachuk and epidemiologist Souradet Shaw surmised waning immunity to COVID-19 may be partly responsible for Manitoba reporting more COVID-19 deaths during the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2021.

Manitoba Public Health declined to draw that association.

"The specific role that waning immunity plays in severe Omicron-related COVIDoutcomes like hospitalization or deathis not known at this time," Manitoba Public Health said in a statement.

"Booster doses are thought to restore immunity and protect those at highest risk due to age or other medical conditions for a period of time following this booster dose."

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, is expected to provide a vaccine update later this week.