One-day pop-up vaccination clinics to open in Flin Flon March 19, 26: province

A pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site will open in Flin Flon next week - and for the first time, the vaccine will be available for members of the general public.

The provincial government announced the new site, along with pop-ups in four of Manitoba's five health regions, in a technical briefing March 10. According to information from the briefing, clinics will be held in Flin Flon March 19 and March 26. The clinics will be held at the Flin Flon Community Hall from 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. - both clinics will have the same hours.

Another pair of clinics will be held in The Pas March 24 and 31 at the Roy H. Johnson Arena, once again from 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Eligibility requirements for the pop-up clinics will be the same as those for larger supersites, including the one in Thompson - as of March 8, vaccine eligibility is limited to people 80 years of age or older, First Nations people aged 60 and over and different types of frontline health workers, including people staffing COVID-19 vaccination sites, personal care home, acute care and emergency response workers and people in seniors' and congregate living homes.

The pop-up sites in the north are part of the provincial government's second phase of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, currently scheduled to begin March 15. The clinics will each be held for one day to, according to the provincial technical briefing, "provide more options for rural and northern residents who might not be able to get to a supersite."

Further clinics for Flin Flonners may be on the way once the first round of pop-ups are completed, according to a provincial government vaccine update issued March 10.

"This is the initial two-week schedule and updates will be provided regularly," reads the update.

Other communities that are planned to host pop-up clinics include Morris, Portage la Prairie, Sprague, Pilot Mound, Niverville, Gimli, Beausejour, Pine Falls, Ashern, Teulon, Eriksdale, St. Laurent, Pinawa, Dauphin and Swan River. A full schedule for these other communities can be found on the provincial government's website.

While northern Manitoba residents are currently able to book appointments for COVID-19, they are currently only available at the provincial government's supersite in Thompson - several communities have announced plans to transport people eligible for vaccines to Thompson and back for doses, a program that which Flin Flon's municipal leadership has balked.

Appointments can be made, starting March 11, by calling the provincial COVID-19 vaccination call centre at 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC). Appointments cannot be made by calling local public health authorities or the Flin Flon General Hospital.