Manitoba’s effort to get kids aged five-11 vaccinated against COVID-19 is going into full swing Thursday.
Health officials announced Wednesday afternoon that it had also started vaccinations — a day ahead of schedule — due to shipments of the pediatric vaccine arriving earlier than expected.
But the full push to get shots into arms kicked off Thursday with a photo op at the Winnipeg supersite in RBC Convention Centre.
“I know that Manitoba parents have been waiting for this day to come,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon
“As parents there is nothing we want more in life than to know that our kids are safe and protected from harm.”
Eight-year-old Zooey Cecilio. who was one of the first 100 kids in Manitoba to be vaccinated, said she was a little nervous about the needle at first, but it was no worse than a flu shot.
“It was good,” Zooey said after rolling up her sleeve at a downtown Winnipeg vaccine super site. “It was just like a little pinch.”
Her dad, Carlo Cecilio, said he and his wife are looking forward to the “peace of mind” that will come when Zooey is immunized, and planned on celebrating Thursday night with a buffet dinner.
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Manitoba opened up vaccine eligibility for kids aged five-11 Monday and officials said nearly 25,000 appointments had been booked by Thursday
Dr. Joss Reimer, lead of the province’s vaccine implementation task force, said Wednesday there are enough vaccines to provide a first dose to all of the roughly 125,000 children in the five-to-11 age group across Manitoba.
The shots will be administered at regional vaccine clinics, physician clinics, urban Indigenous clinics, pharmacies and pop-up community clinics and will be available in some schools in the coming days and weeks.
The pediatric vaccine requires two doses of 10 micrograms each — one-third of the dose for adults.
Pfizer submitted its trial data to Health Canada on Oct. 1 for evaluation, and the full submission for approval on Oct. 18. Health Canada approved the vaccine Nov. 19.
The drug manufacturer’s clinical trial data showed that the vaccine had 91 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 in this age group.
Reimer stressed the vaccine has been well tested and has proven to be safe for kids.
“We have a lot of evidence, we have the science telling us, we have the research telling us,” she said Thursday.
Appointments can be booked by calling 1-844-626-8222 or through the province’s website.
– with files from The Canadian Press
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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