Manitobans exempt from COVID-19 vaccine to receive same cards as fully vaccinated

Anyone granted a medical exemption to Manitoba's COVID-19 vaccination mandates will receive a card that looks identical to the one given to people who have been fully vaccinated.

The Manitoba government has finalized its process for receiving and evaluating requests for exemptions from proof-of-vaccination requirements.

"We expect there will be a limited number of people who will be exempt from requiring the vaccine, but this process will ensure they will be able to register their status and obtain an immunization card," Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the province's vaccine task force, said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Anyone seeking an exemption must first talk to their health-care provider, who then refers them to a specialist for further assessment. If the specialist determines the person making the request fits the requirements for an exemption, they will forward the request to Manitoba Health and Seniors Care.

Only specialist physicians can submit requests through a secure process known only to them, Reimer said.

If an exemption is granted, the person will receive a digital or physical card with a QR code that looks exactly like other cards already given to vaccinated people in the province.

"This will help protect the private health information while also keeping a simple consistent process for venues and events that must validate immunization status," Reimer said.

Some exemptions may be permanent, while others will be temporary.

The province has said severe reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare, and the criteria for exemption has not changed. 

Exemptions may be allowed in cases where someone had a severe reaction to a first COVID-19 vaccine dose, is receiving treatment that affects their immune response (such as certain cancer treatments) or if they had a severe allergy or anaphylactic reaction to a previous COVID-19 vaccine dose or its components that cannot otherwise be managed by the Health Sciences Centre Allergy Clinic.

Wait times range from days to months

A spokesperson for Manitoba Shared Health said the allergy clinic receives about five referrals per day, which have led to hundreds of consultations. Wait times to see a specialist at the allergy clinic can vary from a day to several months.

"Priority is given to individuals who have not yet had a dose of the vaccine or have had an allergic reaction to their first dose," the spokesperson said.

"Referrals due to reactions to the second dose in those who do not yet qualify for a third dose will take longer to be assessed." 

No one referred to the vaccine clinic for assessment has been recommended against receiving the vaccine. 

So far the allergy clinic has vaccinated approximately 75 people on site, about 25 of whom were given small doses of the vaccine over a period of about 90 minutes. 

Others were given a tiny amount of the vaccine before receiving the full dose.

"These protocols mimic those already established for other vaccines, including the annual flu shot," the Shared Health spokesperson said.