Brian Pallister, Premier of Manitoba

When I got the vaccine, I was expecting an emotional experience. Instead, I felt something strange I hadn’t felt in a long time—optimism. I had a sense of calm and relief seeing how many people were getting vaccinated at the same time as me.

Dealing with the pandemic has been exhausting. Of my four sons, three are teenagers (one has asthma), and my six-year-old Nolan has severe special needs. On top of that, my husband is a pharmacist who travels to vulnerable fly-in First Nation communities. Until we’re all vaccinated, my family can’t return to any semblance of normal life.

If Nolan caught COVID-19, no one knows how it would affect him. He has a rare form of epilepsy, various neurological problems, and is non-verbal, so he wouldn’t be able to tell us if he had trouble breathing. It’s an unsinkable fear of mine. Before being vaccinated, my husband had fears, too, of getting close to Nolan and passing on the virus. It’s a weird feeling to be scared to hold your child.

We’re battling this together as a family, but it’s difficult. My older sons know we’re Nolan’s protectors, but they’re still teenagers with their own lives and priorities.

I hope everyone considers not just themselves, but those around them who aren’t eligible for the vaccine yet, like Nolan. We have so much to fight for collectively, and if we work together and get vaccinated, we can all get our lives back sooner.

I booked my vaccine as soon as I was eligible. My vaccination day started with a highly anticipated drive from Winnipeg to Morden, Manitoba. I made the three-hour round-trip because it meant I could get vaccinated sooner. It was quick and efficient — I was in and out in 30 minutes.

Getting vaccinated was at the top of my to-do list because I feel it’s my responsibility to protect those around me.

As a Street Supervisor for the Auxiliary Force Cadets, I spend my days on the streets with the general public in downtown Winnipeg. The community has a large contingency of vulnerable people, so being vaccinated means I am safer on the job while keeping those around me safe.

Once everyone is vaccinated, it will be a lot easier for peace officers to function and carry out our duties without having an elevated risk of COVID-19, and more importantly, without passing the virus to members of the public.

The Winnipeg Police Service puts a lot of trust in every person inside our buildings to get vaccinated and be cautious in our personal lives. So far, everyone has gone above and beyond.

The vaccine is like a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve all been waiting for this, and if we adopt a sense of responsibility to each other, we’ll be able to achieve normal life again sooner than later.

On April 19 I received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It was given to me by one of our healthcare-hero nurses at the RBC Convention Centre. I arrived for my five o clock appointment at four-forty-five. I was promptly attended to and directed where to go by the navigators on duty. There were sanitization stations everywhere, and everyone was maintaining proper social distancing protocols. The process was quick and efficient, and I was impressed with the display of professionalism exhibited by the staff of the Convention Centre. 

I encourage all Manitobans to go out and get the vaccine when they are eligible and do their part in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.