Manitoba parents can start booking an appointment to have their kids aged 5-11 vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday.
A release from the province Friday says parents can make an appointment by calling 1-844-626-8222 or through the province’s website starting at 6 a.m. Nov. 22.
Parents will also able to find an appointment by reaching out to their local pharmacist or primary care provider.
Appointments are expected to be available by as early as the end of next week, officials said.
The province says children must be five years old at the time their appointment is booked, and say parents who have tried to pre-book an appointment for their child in anticipation of Friday’s announcement will have to book a new appointment no sooner than Monday.
The province and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) are recommending you don’t get the COVID-19 shot within two weeks of any other vaccine — including the flu shot.
They’re also suggesting an eight-week window between doses one and two.
The province’s announcement came just hours after Health Canada said it had approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 Friday morning.
The vaccine will require two doses of 10 micrograms each for kids aged five to 11 — one-third of the dose for adults.
Canada will begin receiving shipments of the doses for young children on Sunday, the federal government said. All of the 2.9 million doses ordered will be received by the end of the week.
This is enough vaccine to provide first doses for all eligible children in the country, Public Services and Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi said.
The province estimates the approval will open shots up to roughly 125,000 Manitoba kids.
Provincial polling data shown to reporters Wednesday shows overall, 75 per cent of Manitoba parents say they’re ready to have their kids vaccinated, 15 per cent aren’t yet sure, and another 10 per cent are a hard no.
If that provincial forecasting is correct — and three-quarters of eligible kids get the jabs — Manitoba’s overall vaccination rate would rise from 73 per cent now to more than 80 per cent.
Provincial officials have previously said shots for kids 5-11 will be available through several locations, including in-school without parents or guardians present, as long as parents or guardians give permission.
The shots will also be available at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, vaccine super sites, as well as clinics set on First Nations and through urban Indigenous clinics.
Officials said said Wednesday Manitoba has seen 6,091 cases in kids aged 5-11, since March 2020. Of those cases 27 were hospitalized, seven ended up in ICU, and one child died.
So far this year 13 school outbreaks have resulted in classes being moved to remote learning across Manitoba, according to provincial data.
Pfizer submitted its trial data to Health Canada on Oct. 1 for evaluation, and the full submission for approval on Oct. 18.
The drug manufacturer’s clinical trial data showed that the vaccine had 91 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 in this age group.
–With files from Leslie Young
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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