Children aged 5 to 11 in London and Middlesex to start getting COVID-19 vaccinations on Friday – London

The Pfizer COVID-19 children’s vaccine is officially available in London, with doses starting to be put into the hands of children between the ages of 5 and 11 starting Friday.

Just last Friday, the pediatric Pfizer vaccine was approved by Health Canada for children aged 5 to 11 years old, and as of this Tuesday, appointments were open for that age group.

The dose given to people aged five to 11 years has lower antigen levels, the part of the vaccine that increases the development of antibodies.

Since appointments opened, Middlesex London Medical Unit powerhouse medical staff reports more than 8,000 people have been booked.

“This represents over 22% of the 5 to 11 year old population in our area,” said Dr. Alex Summers.

Summers said the medical unit has gone to great lengths to make sure the vaccine experience is as friendly and enjoyable as possible for young children.

“We have been working to make sure these clinics are where children and families will want to go,” Summers said.

To help ease their fears, Summers said they will be greeted by the vaccine superhero and that posters and stickers will be put up to guide families to the colorful boxes of vaccinations.

Television and sound distortion tools will be present to help the child feel more comfortable.

Once vaccinated, Summers said children will also receive a colorful sticker for each dose of vaccine.

“We’re ready, we’re excited, and tomorrow is a great, great day for our medical unit and our kids,” Summers said.

“We’re getting there, it’s a tough one, but we’ve been here a long time, but we’re getting there.”

On Tuesday, Middlesex London Health Unit reported 90% of all eligible residents aged 12 and over had received at least one dose.

90% applies to all people living in London and Middlesex born in 2009 or earlier, with 87.2% in that age group considered fully vaccinated, having received a second dose.

People 11 and younger account for more than 21% of active cases and have the second-largest case-per- 100,000 ratio of all other age groups.

Regarding vaccination rates, for ages 12 to 17, 83.8% were vaccinated with at least one dose and 89.7% were fully vaccinated.

No appointments are available for those 11 and under, but when they do, information can be found on the health unit’s website, where people can also find information about pop clinics -up, mass vaccination rooms and pharmacies; guide those who go to vaccinate outside the province, abroad; support means of transport for those in need; and more.

Anyone who wants to be tested for COVID-19 can find information about the locations of testing points on the medical unit’s website.

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