Manitobans 65 and older, as well as Indigenous people 18 and older, are among the first people in the province eligible for the updated Moderna vaccine that targets the Omicron variant.
The bivalent vaccine, developed to protect against the original strain of the virus and the variant, was approved by Health Canada earlier this week for people age 18 and older.
The initial eligibility group in Manitoba also includes:
Adults of any age with higher-risk medical conditions, including people who are immunocompromised due to a health condition or medication.
Health-care workers age 18 or older.
Residents of personal care homes and other congregate living facilities, including assisted living, group homes, shelters and correctional facilities.
Manitoba expects to receive its first shipment of 27,650 doses of vaccine next week, which will then be distributed to vaccine locations across the province, said Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer.
A second shipment of 77,600 doses is confirmed for the week of Sept. 12 and additional vaccine deliveries are expected in the following weeks.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer, announces the initial eligibility for the new bivalent vaccine on Friday. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)
Starting that same day, anyone age 12 and older will be eligible for a fall booster of the monovalent (original) vaccine, though Atwall strongly suggests they wait, if possible, for access to a bivalent vaccine because it provides broader coverage.
He did not say, though, when that age group would be eligible for the updated version. The province expects to be expand eligibility to those 18 and older in the coming weeks, based on vaccine supplies and initial uptake among eligible groups.
Updates on further eligibility and supply will be made at some point, he said.
Atwal’s suggestion that people delay their shot until they can get the bivalent vaccine goes against the province’s repeated messaging throughout the pandemic to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
When asked about that contradiction, Atwal said the science shows those at highest risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 are those who will be eligible for the bivalent vaccine first.
“The idea behind a vaccine is to prevent those severe outcomes. That’s what was the issue right from the beginning,” he said.
“It’s not really about infection, per se. Most people will get an infection. Most Manitobans have had a COVID infection and most Manitobans have done well.”
Based on blood samples taken across the province, Atwall estimated 87.5 per cent of Manitobans have already had a COVID infection.
“It is those who are highest risk who we want to protect the most. Others are otherwise relatively healthy,” he said.
When analyzing data from the pandemic, focusing on the number of infections rather than severe outcomes “really does not help the situation at all,” he said.
“Don’t fret if you have to wait for your appointment for a couple of weeks, or even three weeks or four weeks. It’s OK to wait,” he said.
“The important thing here is, when that vaccine is available for you, book your appointment and get that bivalent vaccine. I think that’s the strongest message we want to bring forth.”
Available in mid-September
Appointments for the bivalent vaccine are expected to be available in mid-September, but people must first have completed their primary series of vaccines (usually two doses) before receiving the bivalent.
It is recommended to wait six months from the last dose of vaccine or COVID-19 infection. However, individuals who meet the criteria can receive the bivalent vaccine after a minimum of three months, if they feel they are at increased risk, Atwal said.
The bivalent vaccine can be given at the same time as other immunizations, such as the seasonal flu vaccine, once it becomes available this fall.
The bivalent vaccine was designed around Omicron BA.1, while BA.5 is the variant primarily circulating in the province, but it will still be effective, Atwal said, just as the original vaccine is effective against multiple variants of COVID-19.
“Variants change. Right now it’s BA.5, in six weeks it might be BA something else,” he said. “But all of those variants within Omicron, they’re like brothers and sisters.”
Early studies indicate the bivalent vaccine should have just as much impact on the different Omicron subvariants, Atwal said.
“This is all going to evolve. There will be other variants coming, and the more coverage you have, the more protection you have down the road for the next variant that may come.”
No silver bullet
Health officials are treating COVID as they do seasonal influenza, which comes in various strains with vaccines developed to target the most predominant one, Atwall said.
“There’s no silver bullet here,” he said. “The vaccines available will help reduce transmission and it should help reduce severe outcomes. We don’t want the deaths, we don’t want the hospitalizations, we don’t want the ICU admissions.
“This vaccine should do that.”
COVID is here to stay and it’s going to evolve, Atwal said. The question is whether it will flare up seasonally or linger year-round, as it has so far.
“There’s some questions we don’t know yet but yes … it’s likely here to stay, just like influenza,” he said.
Appointments for those eligible will start next week through the online vaccine booking tool, the vaccine call centre at 1-844-626-8222 (toll-free) or by contacting medical clinics and pharmacies directly, Atwall said.
Walk-in vaccinations will no longer be available at RBC Convention Centre after Sept. 10. The last day of operations at the convention centre will be Sept. 17.
The first appointments at a new vaccine clinic opening at 1680 Notre Dame Ave. will be Sept. 20. However, walk-ins will not be available at that location.
HALIFAX – Ottawa is negotiating a $500-million bailout for Nova Scotia’s privately owned electric utility, saying the money will be used to prevent a big spike in electricity rates.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcement today in Halifax, saying Nova Scotia Power Inc. needs the money to cover higher costs resulting from the delayed delivery of electricity from the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric plant in Labrador.
Wilkinson says that without the money, the subsidiary of Emera Inc. would have had to increase rates by 19 per cent over “the short term.”
Nova Scotia Power CEO Peter Gregg says the deal, once approved by the province’s energy regulator, will keep rate increases limited “to be around the rate of inflation,” as costs are spread over a number of years.
The utility helped pay for construction of an underwater transmission link between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but the Muskrat Falls project has not been consistent in delivering electricity over the past five years.
Those delays forced Nova Scotia Power to spend more on generating its own electricity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
