Parents with children between the ages of five and 11 will finally be able to book their little ones in to get the COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday morning.
The Middlesex London Health Unit has announced vaccination appointment booking at www.covidvaccinelm.ca will officially open for anyone born between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2016 as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday. The first shots will begin going into the arms of children in the newly approved age group by the end of the week.
Eligibility for the pediatric dose includes all children who have not yet had their fifth birthday but will turn five before the end of the year.
“We know there are a lot of parents who are very enthusiastic about having their children protected against COVID-19 as soon as possible; and we also know there are parents who have questions they would like answered,” Dr. Alex Summers, acting medical officer of health, said in a statement. “We have been planning this rollout for weeks, creating a welcoming environment for children who come to get vaccinated at the Agriplex or in Mount Brydges, and developing resources that we hope will answer many of the questions parents have.”
To help children combat any fears related to getting the shot, the health unit has created what it calls a "child-friendly environment" at its two mass vaccination centres at the Western Fair District Agriplex in London and the Caradoc Community Centre in Mount Brydges. Some of the measures enacted to put children at ease include brightly-coloured banners, physical distancing stickers on the floor, "look and find" activities, and “stress stars” that a child can squeeze. Family pods have also been established where children will be vaccinated.
The paediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will still be given in a series of two doses at a recommended interval of eight weeks between the first and second shot.
Appointments can be booked online at covidvaccinelm.ca or by calling 226-289-3560 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., seven days a week.
The opening of appointment bookings for children aged 5 to 11 in the London region coincides with the opening of the provincial COVID-19 vaccination appointment portal. It comes exactly eight months after eligibility for the vaccine was expanded to include children over the age of 12.
Health Canada announced its approval of the paediatric Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine last Friday. Ontario is expected to receive 1,076,000 doses of the vaccine from the federal government. They will be immediately distributed to public health units, pharmacies, and primary care settings across the province.
Since the London-region began offering the COVID-19 vaccine late last year, 803,896 doses have been administered. As of November 13, 89.7 per cent of all area residents aged 12 and older had received at least one dose. The percentage of the local population to receive both doses is currently 86.7.
