Hundreds disappointed as Leila vaccine supersite runs out of walk-in doses before it even opens

The line of people stretched out far and wide in the fields behind the COVID-19 vaccination supersite on Winnipeg's Leila Avenue on Thursday morning, as hundreds showed up hoping for a chance to get immunized.

Around 8 a.m., a full hour before the site was set to open for walk-in vaccinations, there were already roughly 400 people lined up.

Many came prepared with folding chairs, hats and umbrellas to stay cool and comfortable as they waited under the hot morning sun.

The site was initially scheduled to offer walk-in shots from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. But at 8:41 a.m., the province announced on Twitter that because of the "incredible" response to the walk-in offer, all the doses allotted for the day had already been assigned.

Appointments are still available for next week, though, and more walk-in opportunities are coming soon, the government said. 

Thursday marked the end of Manitoba's three-day pilot program offering walk-in shots this week. While priority was given to people who still needed their first doses, second doses were also being offered.

A provincial government spokesperson said the government's original plan called for 1,000 walk-in doses to be offered on each of those three days.

But because of the "overwhelming" response, the province opted to accommodate those in line the first two days — giving out roughly 1,800 doses on Tuesday and 1,761 on Wednesday — which left only 430 doses for walk-ins by Thursday, the spokesperson said.

About 75 per cent of the shots doled out in the first two days were first doses, the spokesperson added.

Among those who showed up early were Garry and Michelle Burgess, who hoped to get their second doses early enough to be fully vaccinated by Canada Day.

They had booked their second-dose appointments already, but would have had to wait weeks before those days rolled around.

The couple also dressed for the occasion — wearing matching black T-shirts with the words "this is our shot" written on the front, alongside an image of a syringe and half of a red maple leaf.

"It means this is our big chance to get out of this problem that we're in. If enough people get vaccinated, the virus won't spread so much," Garry said.

They arrived about two hours before the site opened, thinking they would likely be the first ones there, he said before bursting into laughter as he looked at the line of hundreds ahead of him.

Luckily, they were also among those ahead enough in line to be handed a numbered paper that meant doses would be set aside for them to get once they reached the front of the line, Garry said.

The medical lead of Manitoba's vaccine task force said Manitobans being excited to get vaccinated is "a great problem for us to have."

One issue officials will have to stickhandle is ensuring a "good portion" of doses go to walk-ins, Dr. Joss Reimer said. 

"We are moving as many doses as we have into these types of more accessible options, but most of the doses are already spoken for," Reimer said. "They've got someone's name attached to them in a blocked appointment. And so we can't just move the doses as quickly as we'd like to because it would mean cancelling appointments for people who are already booked into the system.

"But I think what we're seeing is that the demand is there. And so when we get next future shipments and they're not yet allocated that we need to make sure that a good portion of them go to options like this." 

Line shows vaccine enthusiasm among some — but not all

Garry Burgess, 65, said the strong turnout on Thursday shows that many Manitobans are, like him, "really hungry" for the vaccine.

"I feel the risk," he said. "I'd rather just go through July knowing that I have that [immunity] in my body."

Michelle Burgess said she thinks that enthusiasm will help Manitoba stay safe in the long run, despite some still being hesitant to get vaccinated.

She said she was "absolutely elated" to have gotten her second dose so early.

"This will be the culmination of us being very diligent and working really hard to stay away from people," she said as they waited outside the supersite.

"I haven't seen my kids, I haven't hugged any of them, in a year and a half. So this'll get things back on track."

Garry, who used to work in pathology at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, said he knows the importance of getting vaccinated.

"I've been working in health care my entire life," he said.

"I can tell you there's not a single doctor in any hospital in Winnipeg, there's not a single professional, that won't tell you that this is 100 per cent safe. It will not hurt you. And so you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Garry said he's grateful Canada has secured so many vaccine doses — especially as some countries still struggle to access the immunizations.

He also worries about what will happen to those choosing not to get the shot once restrictions ease even more.

"What happens in the fall when they remove all the health-care restrictions? Who's going to be vulnerable? The unvaccinated people," he said.