Waterloo Region says it is planning the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children aged 5-11 ahead of the potential approval of COVID-19 vaccines for those age groups sometime later this fall or in the winter.
The region says the goal is to be prepared for vaccinations within this age group as soon as possible if approval is given by Health Canada.
It says the rollout will be planned alongside local school board physicians and pharmacists.
Waterloo Region says they will also host information sessions to prepare families for their vaccination experience.
It says that once a child’s dose of the vaccine is available, it will be offered at doctors’ offices, pharmacies and regional vaccination clinics.
The region says it is also considering drive-thru and mobile clinics in both urban and rural settings. It says that anyone with vaccine concerns should speak with their family doctor, pediatrician or other trusted health professional.
On Tuesday, Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced they had submitted initial trial data for their COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11. They said they would make a formal request with U.S. regulators for emergency use in the coming weeks.
The companies said they plan to submit the data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities.
— with files from Reuters