Manitoba announces plan for vaccinating kids aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19 once approved
CTV
With Health Canada currently reviewing COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged five to 11, the Manitoba government has announced some details about its plan to get this age group immunized.
With Health Canada currently reviewing COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged five to 11, the Manitoba government has announced some details about its plan to get this age group immunized.
On Wednesday, Manitoba health officials announced that Health Canada will likely approve the vaccine for children aged five to 11 by the end of this month, and Manitoba has been told to expect a sufficient supply.
This means the province will likely not have to prioritize vaccine doses; however, planning is underway if this turns not out to be the case.
“The time is now to start having family conversations about how vaccination works and about how it helps keep people safe and healthy if you have young children in your home or if you care for young children,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon at a news conference on Wednesday.
Once the vaccine doses arrive in the province, the government expects it will take about a week to ship to the different sites around the province. Gordon noted the first doses of the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to be available in Manitoba as early as one week after the vaccine’s approval.
The vaccines will be available for kids aged five to 11 at many locations, including First Nations communities, urban Indigenous clinics, regional vaccine clinics, and schools. Physicians, pediatricians, and pharmacists will also be able to administer the vaccine to kids.
“Walk-ins would also be an option at some locations and in schools vaccination would be offered both during and after school hours,” the health minister said.
