The head of Manitoba's COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Task Force says officials have had really encouraging meetings with Southern Manitoba community leaders in response to the region's continued low vaccine uptake.

Dr. Joss Reimer says these leaders want the best for their communities, and to work with the task force on how best to reach out, and be an example.

“This is going to be a long haul,” stresses Reimer. “We're not expecting that, you know, after a few presentations or connections we're going to see a sudden tip, and a huge increase in uptake in those areas. And this is about relationship building. This is about trust. This is about people feeling that their questions are being answered.”

Dr. Reimer pointed to a video released this week on social media featuring long-time Winkler physician Dr. Don Klassen and Winkler Mayor Martin Harder as an example of an outreach effort that will have an impact.

“Dr. Klassen, being in Winkler for I think 40 years at this point practicing, and is well respected in that community... Dr. Klassen is going to have more of an impact on the community than the government could ever hope to have, because he is that known and trusted voice,” explains Reimer. “So we're absolutely encouraged, but we also know this is going to take a lot of effort and a long time.”

Dr. Reimer says an increasing number of people in the province are indicating they intend to get vaccinated, adding he mRNA vaccine technology has been around for 20 years, but it was never discussed much in public until now during this pandemic. She says, as people see their friends, family and health care providers receive the vaccine with good results, they are becoming more confident in the vaccine.

“And even when we're talking about some of the areas of the province that have the lowest uptake, so the Stanley, Winkler, Hanover, Steinbach areas, the vast majority of those folks are not anti-vaccine,” says Reimer. “The vast majority of the people who have not yet been vaccinated are those who have questions about the vaccine, so they're not against it, they just don't feel the confidence yet in this vaccine.”

She adds, even in those communities in Southern Health-Sante Sud where vaccine uptake has been low, there continues to be a trickle of people getting the shot, because they are beginning to feel more comfortable with the vaccine.

“We want to boost that trickle to become a stream of people coming in, because the last thing we want is for there to be a pocket of people in Southern Manitoba who are still susceptible, and continue to see infections and continue to see their loved ones in the hospital,” notes Reimer. “We will work hard to support the community leaders as best we can.”