20% of kids 5-11 in Waterloo region are booked to get their first COVID-19 vaccine
CBC
More than 20 per cent of the roughly 50,000 children aged five to 11 in Waterloo are booked in for an appointment to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The region began administering first doses to this age group on Friday, exactly a week after Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for that use.
The vaccine bookings come as medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang says the region is seeing a "small but steady increase" in daily COVID-19 case rates. That's been leading to more outbreaks, including at workplaces and schools, Wang said.
The vaccine "help keep [kids] in school and doing the activities that they enjoy," Wang said at a briefing Friday.
Dr. Matthew Purser, a pediatrician at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, said the vaccine for children is welcome news.
Children between five and 11 are now one of the highest populations with confirmed COVID-19 infections, Purser said, though he noted that rates of pediatric hospitalizations due to the virus have remained low.
"For months now, many of us have been waiting for an effective and safe vaccine in our younger age groups."
Vickie Murray, the region's vaccine services director, said that as of Thursday afternoon, 10,500 appointments for children had been booked at regional clinics — with another 20,000 available to kids before Dec. 12.
Parents or caregivers have to book appointments for their children; they can also book second dose appointments eight weeks after a child's first dose.
Murray said the vaccine clinics are designed to make kids feel comfortable when they're getting immunized, including posting colourful artwork and "sensory safe spaces."
There are two confirmed school-based clinics:
Public health expects to announce more school-based clinics shortly, Murray said, and pharmacies and doctors' offices in the region have also now received the vaccine doses for children.
On Friday, Region of Waterloo Public Health reported 49 new COVID-19 cases.
Wang said it's not unexpected to see cases rising as people have moved indoors.
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