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Photograph By Ian Graham
Canadian Armed Forces members currently stationed in Thompson to assist with mass vaccination efforts in Northern Manitoba First Nations assemble to receive thank you gifts from Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak May 8. Photograph By Ian Graham
Canadian Armed Forces members currently stationed in Thompson to assist with mass vaccination efforts in Northern Manitoba First Nations listen to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee prior to a gift-giving ceremony at the Thompson Airport May 8. Photograph By Ian Graham
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee speaks to a Canadian Armed Forces member assisting vaccination efforts during a May 8 gift-giving ceremony at the Thompson Airport.
Announced and commenced in late March, Operation Vector has seen as many as 200 military personnel deployed to a staging area at the Thompson Airport with the goal of helping First Nations deliver 100,000 vaccinations in 100 days. Equipment supporting the mission includes a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, up to two Chinook and two Twin Otter helicopters and other military vehicles. Duties performed by Canadian Armed Forces members include co-ordinating the delivery of supplies, administering vaccines to patients and transporting community members to and from clinics where required Prior to Operation Vector, the armed forces assisted more than 50 northern and Indigenous communities to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, providing assistance at Rod McGillivary Memorial Care Home in The Pas, as well to Shamattawa First Nation, Pauingassi First Nation, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Red Sucker Lake, Garden Hill First Nation, Cross Lake and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation in Manitoba. T
The change is part of a series of clinic reschedulings announced recently by the provincial government, owing to what the province has described as “delays in two deliveries of Moderna vaccine”. According to a provincial announcement, two shipments of Moderna vaccines – one of 28,300 doses expected to arrive March 22 and another 28,400 doses expected to arrive earlier this week – were delayed, with the first shipment arriving April 3 and the second shipment yet to arrive as of April 5. In total, 23 pop-up clinics in 17 different communities have been postponed, most of which are in rural or northern communities. People who have booked vaccination appointments in Flin Flon April 13-15 will be contacted about their appointments, according to the province, with the option to book another appointment at a future pop-up clinic or at a supersite.
Following the province’s March 26 announcement, news broke of other pop-up clinics scheduled in Flin Flon that were not included in the province’s initial announcement. Instead of only having one day of pop-up clinics in the near future, a different schedule posted on the provincial government’s website showed two more clinics would soon be held. According to the provincial website, another clinic, the fourth to be held in Flin Flon, would take place April 13, along with a fifth running for three consecutive days from April 14-16. Both additional clinics would take place at the Flin Flon Community Hall from 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. - the same location and hours as previous clinics at the site.