Manitoba is on track to see more people receive flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this year.
Provincial data show nearly 119,000 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 172,000 have received the flu shot since August 2026. That compares to 339,983 flu shots and 233,721 COVID-19 vaccines administered between August 2025 and August 2026. Home Health Care Pharmacy in Brandon is also seeing an increase in vaccinations.
“Last year we vaccinated 300 people, and we have already exceeded that number in the first three weeks,” said pharmacy owner Mark Mercure.
Mercure said he has noticed more people feeling eager to get vaccinated.
“People want to protect themselves and make sure their loved ones are also safe.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercure noticed people were experiencing vaccine fatigue.
“People were becoming overwhelmed by the number of required vaccines. However, the annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are a manageable routine that people are comfortable with.”
Vaccine effectiveness is another factor driving interest, Mercure said.
“They hold year to year in the 40 to 60 per cent effectiveness range,” he said.
He added that health experts determine which diseases are expected to be prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere before vaccines are distributed.
Among Manitobans aged 65 and older, 35 per cent have received a flu shot, while 27 per cent have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
“These stats match with the age group that commonly gets the vaccine,” Mercure said.
However, only 2.7 per cent of Manitobans aged 18 to 49 have received a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 5.3 per cent who have received a flu shot. Mercure said this is a common trend across the province.
Looking ahead, Mercure said free respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines could become more widely available across the province for people aged 80 and older.
“We hope to participate in the free provincial program as soon as the legislation gets ironed out for us to do that.”
Currently, only doctors or public health offices can administer the free RSV vaccines.
Information on where vaccines are available in your area can be found here.
