About 48,000 children from the region will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, after Health Canada lifted restrictions on that age group, said the head of the Waterloo Region’s vaccine task force. .
On Wednesday night, Vickie Murray told the Health Commission that a recent study from the University of Waterloo found that 50 to 70 percent of Ontario parents are “desired to get their children vaccinated.”
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Murray believes this means between 24,000 and 34,000 children from the area will receive doses of the vaccine.
“Once pediatric doses are approved, they will be our priority. We’ve prepared our staff and clinics with family-friendly ways to immunize the 5 to 11-year-olds,” said Murray, who is also the pharmacy director of both major hospitals. by Kitchener said.
By prioritizing children’s first doses, she hopes their first round of immunizations will be completed in two to two, two, two or three weeks. The task force will then provide a variety of immunization options to make vaccines accessible to all children in the Waterloo Region.
The task force has been working with the local school board on a plan to offer after-school and weekend clinics at schools in the area, she said.
“I encourage parents to check out the Waterloo area children’s vaccines website for information on how to safely vaccinate children,” says Murray.
“We are adding resources and education to that site to help parents get the answers they need. We will continue to add information and education to help make informed decisions. ”
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On Thursday morning, Global News’ Amanda Connolly reported that Health Canada is expected to approve the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Friday morning.
The night before, Murray said local clinics, run by the region, had extended their hours before the final decision.
Some Canadian parents desperate to get their kids vaccinated had to take them south of the border, where the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use in children ages 5 to 11 on November 2.
A small number of people under the age of 20 have died from COVID-19 in Ontario, including one case announced by the province earlier this week.
—With files from Global News ‘Amanda Connolly and Lesley Young
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