The Province of Manitoba announced this week children aged 12 and up are now eligible for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Portage la Prairie MLA Ian Wishart says the Pfizer (and since Moderna) vaccine is approved for youth. He adds this is a great sign and puts Manitoba in a very promising position.

"Manitobans have been really good about stepping up to get their vaccines done," says Wishart. "We're doing record numbers every day now, so we certainly want to encourage everyone to go out and make arrangements to get their vaccine as soon as possible."

Wishart says he went to Winnipeg to get his vaccination and notes it went swimmingly.

"I hardly noticed that I had gotten the shot," Wishart explains. "I understand that it's the second one that gets a little more of a reaction from some people. You get a little swelling sometimes and the odd person doesn't feel good the next day, but they are very safe."

Wishart says at this point the COVID-19 vaccines have not only been tested in laboratories and deemed safe there, but they now have also done plenty of testing in the real world. Despite the confidence of Wishart and majority of the government, there are still a few MLAs in the province who have not gone for their vaccinations.

"I believe that the three MLA's that hadn't received theirs yet just haven't been able to schedule it or the age hadn't dropped at that point in time," Wishart explains. "I really don't think there is a serious reason to be afraid of the vaccine. If you have additional health issues you can always consult with your doctor about special circumstances for the vaccine but generally speaking, most Manitobans are in good enough health to get the shot."

Wishart says the vaccinations are the key to getting the province back to normal, so he heavily encourages all Manitobans to schedule their appointments in the very near future.