Government of Canada Provides Funding to the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg to support efforts to communicate the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination

WINNIPEG, MB, Jan. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - As COVID-19 continues to circulate in Canada, it is important for everyone to stay up-to-date with their vaccination to strengthen their immune response and reduce their risk of severe illness.

Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor, and Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, on behalf of Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced an investment of $265,732 to the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg to support their vaccine confidence project, AHWC Mobile Outreach Vaccination Clinic.

The project aims to increase confidence and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines through Indigenous-led outreach and primary care initiatives. As a trusted healthcare organization, AHWC will coordinate flexible vaccine clinics for urban Indigenous and marginalized populations in downtown Winnipeg.

The funding is made available through the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) to support continued COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Investments through the IPF help to close the gap among populations with lower vaccine uptake and confidence by supporting informed vaccination choices. Initiatives supported by the IPF are evidence-based and equity-oriented and deployed in diverse communities across Canada.

The IPF is a key component of the Government of Canada's multi-faceted approach to advance population health protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, support vaccination equity and improve vaccine uptake and access through public outreach and community mobilization.

Staying up-to-date with vaccinations by getting all your recommended doses provides improved protection against COVID-19 while helping to reduce pressures on our hospitals and healthcare system. If it has been longer than six months since your last dose, or since you were infected with COVID-19, it is time to get your booster.

Quotes

"The Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg's AHWC Mobile Outreach Vaccination Clinic is doing important work in support of Indigenous and vulnerable populations in Winnipeg. Thanks to this project, flexible COVID-19 vaccine clinics are helping to improve vaccine access, and keeping people healthy and safe."

The Honourable Dan Vandal 
Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor and Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface – Saint-Vital

"Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations can help reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. The Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg is playing an important role in Canada's COVID-19 vaccination effort. Through flexible vaccine clinics and trusted information, AHWC is empowering individuals to make informed vaccination decisions, while also reducing barriers to accessing vaccination services."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health 

"Community-led initiatives such as AHWC's Mobile Outreach Vaccination Clinic provide supports that are specifically tailored to the needs of the community. By working together to increase vaccine confidence and uptake, we are helping to protect the health of individuals in Canada as well as our healthcare system as a whole."

Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer
Public Health Agency of Canada

Quick Facts

• Launched in 2016, the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) is a key element of the Public Health Agency of Canada's vaccination initiatives. The IPF is an important lever to identify and help address gaps in vaccine acceptance and uptake and empower people in Canada to make informed vaccine decisions.
• In 2020 and 2021, as part of Canada's COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the Government of Canada invested $45.5 million for projects to support COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake.
• In 2022, an additional $3,894,545 in funding under the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) was announced to provide continued support to 9 existing IPF projects.
• Vaccination is, and will continue to be, a critical public health measure. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that everyone stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations by getting all recommended doses. If it's been longer than 6 months since your last dose, it's time to get a booster. This is especially important if you are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Associated Links

Vaccination and Immunization 
Immunization Partnership Fund 
Canada.ca/Coronavirus 

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Guillaume Bertrand, Senior Communications Advisor and Press, Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations: Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries:613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709