The B.C. government is ruling out using schools across the province and instead will focus on community clinics to administer the COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged five to 11 years old.
The clinics are expected to be smaller in scale than the clinics at hockey arenas and convention centres used for the mass immunization program earlier this year.
Health Canada is expected to have a decision on its review of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 years old in one to two weeks from now.
“I know the public health team wants to offer the vaccine at a place that is simple and easy to access,” B.C. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said.
“That will be driving the decisions around location.”
There are around 360,000 British Columbian children aged five to 11 that will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine if it is approved.
The United States has already approved the use of the Pfizer/Comirnaty vaccine for the age group.
Recent public opinion polls suggest there is still hesitancy among parents around allowing their children to get vaccine.
Only about 20 per cent of kids in the age group are currently registered through the government’s website to be notified when they can get the shot. Some parents are waiting to register until the vaccine is formally approved.
“Health Canada is not going to approve something that is not safe and not effective. We will know once they approve the vaccine it will be safe and effective,” Vancouver family physician Dr. Anna Wolak said.
“I will be vaccinating my children once the vaccine is approved.”
Public health is currently working with the education system to provide information about the vaccine directly to parents once it is approved.
The province is hoping the information will allow parents to make informed decisions about the vaccine.
“They are working very closely with the Ministry of Education and school districts about the discussions that will be happening with districts about vaccinating five to 11 year olds,” Whiteside said.
COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated, school-aged children have been going down in B.C. since they peaked at the beginning of October.
But locally there have been COVID-19 outbreaks among children in areas with lower rates of immunization.
This includes outbreaks at King’s Christian School in Salmon Arm, Vernon Christian School in Vernon and Mar Jok Elementary in West Kelowna.
“They had a number of kids out, including parents holding their healthy kids out because they were concerned about the situation,” Central Okanagan Teachers’ Association President Susan Bauhart said.
“This is a big deal here. We have not had one since day one. I believe it was called too late.”
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