Manitobans aged 65 and older now eligible for AstraZeneca

Omicron-targeted vaccines going into arms in Ont. The first Omicron-targeted booster is going into arms in Ontario and is now available for everyone 18 years of age and up.

WINNIPEG — Manitobans aged 65 and older are now eligible to get the AstraZeneca vaccine at participating medical clinics or pharmacies.

The Manitoba government updated its vaccine eligibility on Wednesday, saying priority should be given to those aged 65 and older who face barriers in accessing a supersite or pop-up clinic.

Last month, the province announced it is pausing the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Manitobans under the age of 55, due to blood clots seen as a side effect of the vaccine.

However, Manitobans aged 55 to 64 with certain high-risk conditions are still eligible for AstraZeneca.

The province has released two priority lists outlining which medical conditions qualify someone to be eligible for AstraZeneca. Those who fall under Priority List 1 should be offered the vaccine before those with a condition in Priority List 2.

A full breakdown of the priority lists can be found online.

The province also expanded its vaccine eligibility to people 62 years of age and older, and First Nations people 42 years of age and older.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the province has received 407,130 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 222,130 of which have been administered.