THUNDER BAY – Local children are expected to start receiving their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine before the end of November, after Health Canada approved Pfizer’s lower-dose children’s vaccine on Friday.
Medical officer of health Dr. Janet DeMille said she expects the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to begin offering appointments for the newly eligible group of 5- to 11-year-olds during the week of Nov. 29, though details are still being finalized.
Health Canada called the approval a “major milestone in Canada's fight against COVID-19,” a characterization DeMille endorsed.
“It’s a huge deal in a number of ways,” she said. “Elementary schools are the number one outbreak [location] in Ontario, and those unvaccinated children have a high rate of COVID-19 cases. When we have a vaccine available to be able to mitigate that issue, that’s huge – so we can ensure schools are safe, children aren’t at risk of COVID-19.”
“Even looking at things like long COVID, that we don’t talk about very much – this could help reduce that.”
Children under 12 have had higher incidence rates of COVID-19 than any other age group in recent weeks, though they’re less likely to develop severe symptoms.
DeMille noted the benefits of vaccination go beyond protecting individual children and their immediate families.
“This is another group that’s going to help contribute to the broader immunity in the community,” she said. “We’re going to really limit this virus’s ability to spread, because that many more of us are vaccinated. So there’s multiple benefits.”
Pfizer’s children’s vaccine involves a dose one-third the size of its adult formulation, with data indicating it’s about 91 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children.
The vaccine is authorized to be administered three weeks apart, though Ontario’s chief medical officer of health has indicated the province is likely to follow the recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) to increase that to eight weeks. There is emerging evidence the longer interval would spur a more robust immune response.
The vaccine will roll out to children through numerous channels, DeMille said, including primary care, some pharmacies, and Indigenous partner agencies.
Initially though, most appointments will be at the health unit’s main vaccine clinic.
“Because we can be most efficient getting through a lot of doses quickly, we’re going to start off focusing on the CLE Coliseum clinic,” DeMille said. “People will be able to set up an appointment. We’re going to set it up in a kid-friendly way to engage the kids coming in.”
Those 12 and older will still be able to walk into the clinic for first and second doses, and third doses for those who are immunocompromised.
However, the children’s vaccination push will mean fewer appointments for booster shots for groups like those 70 and older, health care workers, and Indigenous people. DeMille encouraged those groups, particularly those 80 and older, to book next week before that occurs.
She also addressed possible hesitancy on the part of parents.
“I’m a parent – I can understand when it comes to your kids, you just want that extra confidence in what’s happening,” she said. “This is still a relatively new vaccine, but there’s been a lot of experience with it. The fact that Health Canada has approved it – and they took their time to approve it… I certainly feel very comfortable and confident.”
The vaccine has already rolled out to millions of kids in the U.S., she pointed out, where it was approved in late October.
Information about vaccines is available on the health unit website, and DeMille expected further information specifically on vaccination for children would be added soon.
Pharmaceutical company Moderna submitted its own children’s vaccine to Health Canada for approval last week, for use in a slightly narrower age range of 6- to 11-year-olds.
