Manitoba-developed Vaccine Quest game uses Indigenous culture to promote use of vaccines

Vaccine Quest. Image credit: Website

Winnipeg/CMEDIA: Officially launched on April 12, Vaccine Quest reportedly uses a video game adventure with themes like family and togetherness to enable easier understanding and access to vaccines.

Roxanne Balan, the project manager at Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a lobby group that represents 26 First Nations in northern Manitoba reportedly said that the players feel justified in thier decision to get vaccinated and added,

“They all have been built on the teachings, as well as the Cree, the Dene language,” Balan said. “You can hear that throughout the game as well.”

The player character goes through multiple levels, fighting enemies like mosquitoes and deadly gas clouds, before achieving the final objective of finding a vaccine that will help their elders.

With a significant Indigenous focus, the game has all the characters based off cultural teachings such as love, trust and courage.

Project Whitecard, a video game development company based in Winnipeg, was part of the project.

The game is available online at mkonorth.projectwhitecard.com for anyone to check out and, possibly, take something away from it, Balan said.

“We want kids and even parents to be able to have access to this game, so that they can check for themselves,” she said.

“I’m pretty confident that this is going to be a tool for everyone and anyone.”

#Manitoba; #VaccineQuest