The COVID vaccine for children is on its way.
Ontario is working with the federal government to confirm the timing of when children in the province can start receiving COVID-19 vaccines, says Health Minister Christine Elliott.
Yesterday, Health Canada approved the vaccine for children ages five to 11. People may be able to book appointments as early as next week.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has been advised by the province that the COVID-19 vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds will be arriving to Health Units next week.
"We anticipate appointment booking to start early next week and will start to administer the vaccine by next weekend at special clinics for kids.," says the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit. "We encourage parents and caregivers to visit our website to learn more about the vaccine."
Meanwhile, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit expects that appointments for children will become available on the provincial booking system in the coming week.
"SMDHU anticipates that the pediatric formulation of the COVID-19 vaccine will be received locally in the coming week and the health until will promptly make it available by appointment only via local community clinics throughout Simcoe Muskoka, pharmacies and some primary care providers," says a news release.
“We are very pleased to learn of Health Canada’s approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years of age and the recommendation by NACI,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, SMDHU’s Medical Officer of Health. “Getting 5-to-11-year-olds vaccinated is safe and the most effective way to protect them from COVID-19. This is the next major step in our efforts, locally and beyond, to protect children and the broader community from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Health Canada and NACI have both noted that preliminary evidence shows the vaccine is 91 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19 in children 5 to 11 years of age and no serious side effects have been identified. The vaccine can also help safeguard against the disruptions to schooling and extra-curricular activities and the social isolation that children have experienced during the pandemic.
Information for parents and caregivers about the vaccine is available on the health unit’s website, including how and where to get the vaccine, answers to frequently asked questions, and helpful resources about making the vaccination experience a positive one for your child. It will be updated as new information is available.
The approval is encouraging news as people move indoors for the winter, said Elliott in a statement issued with Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
She said there have been assurances from the federal government that there will be enough doses to vaccinate all eligible children.
"We are working with the federal government to confirm and finalize details on the specific timing of shipments, and we stand ready to begin distributing and administering doses as soon as they arrive," reads the statement.
In the coming days, the provincial statement says parents will hear additional details from local public health units.
"Vaccines will be available through familiar channels such as select doctors' offices, hospitals, pharmacies and school-based clinics," it said.
"In addition, public health units will continue to offer vaccines through successful mass vaccination clinics. Parents will be able to book appointments through the provincial online booking portal for mass vaccination sites, including school-based clinics in public health units using the provincial booking system, starting early next week once we have received final details from the federal government and can confirm allocations for each health unit."
