We Encourage All Manitobans To Get Vaccinated Once Eligible
Two of our dentists – Drs. Michael Porco and Darryll Iwaszkiw – will soon be working to administer COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Province of Manitoba has embarked on a major, province-wide immunization campaign in an effort to protect people from COVID-19. Because of the size of the effort – immunizing more than a million people in a few months – the province put out a call for people to help. This will go down in history as one of the most ambitious and important immunization campaigns – larger than past initiatives to eradicate polio and measles.
“It’s vital that we do everything we can to ensure the success of this immunization campaign. We were happy to put our names forward to help in this effort,” said Dr. Michael Porco. “We’re medical professionals and we’re accustomed to administering injections.”
The doctors took eight hours of training – both online and in person – to ensure they had the proper knowledge and credentials to administer this vaccine. They expect to be working in Provincial immunization centres as the vaccination campaign becomes more widely available to people in 2021.
“Right now, the province is prioritizing people like medical professionals,” said Dr. Iwaszkiw. “As the Ministry of Health receives more doses of the vaccine, more people will become eligible to receive it. We expect to be called in at that time and are happy to do it.”
So far, two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in Canada, with more on the way. The federal government has secured future delivery of tens of millions of doses, making Canada among the best-prepared countries in the world for immunizations.
“We strongly encourage all Manitobans to get vaccinated once they are eligible to do so,” said Dr. Porco. “Vaccines are safe and highly effective ways to safeguard ourselves against deadly diseases like COVID-19.”
Doctors Porco and Iwaszkiw will continue to serve patients at our clinic as normal. They will be working part-time on the vaccination program at other locations. For more information on the Province of Manitoba’s vaccination program, please visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/index.html.