Manitoba's top doctor is now recommending more Manitobans get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced Monday that it is now recommended that First Nations people living on reserve get the third dose. This includes an estimated 7,200 people. The third dose should be given at least six months after the last vaccine. The Integrated Vaccine Operations Centre, which is co-led by First Nations and the federal government, is being reactivated to oversee the third dose rollout and coordinate other supports that communities may need.

Dr. Marcia Anderson, is Public Health Lead with the First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team. She says about 82.6 per cent of residents on First Nations reserves are fully vaccinated, whereas about 64.5 per cent of First Nations people not living on reserves are fully vaccinated.

Dr. Anderson says as of Friday, there were 36 new cases of COVID-19 among First Nations people, representing 39 per cent of all cases in Manitoba. Of those, 31 are in individuals living on reserves. As of Friday, there were 28 First Nations people in hospital and five of those in ICU. She notes test positivity on reserves is significantly higher than throughout the province at 10 per cent.

"Approximately seventeen First Nations communities currently have active COVID-19 cases and this includes communities located in every region of the province," says Dr. Anderson.

She adds the proportion of breakthrough cases in Manitoba that is experienced by First Nations people compared to the rest of the province has been increasing since August.

"What is unclear is how much of this is due to waning immunity vs the underlying risk conditions in First Nations communities such as overcrowded housing, overcrowded classes in schools which may be a factor, food security and what the combination of those factors are," she says.

Dr. Anderson notes consistently about two-thirds of breakthrough infections being experienced by First Nations people are in those who usually reside on a reserve.

Meanwhile, beginning today, individuals can make an appointment for their seasonal flu vaccine at provincial, regional or urban Indigenous sites using the provincial call centre or online booking system originally put in place for the COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals can receive their seasonal flu, COVID-19 or both vaccines at these sites at the same time, if they choose.