Following Thursday’s federal approval, the B.C. government says kids under five will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine as of Aug. 2.
The province will be setting up specific clinics for children aged six months to five years old to receive the Moderna vaccine, following Health Canada’s approval and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s recommendation for its use.
“B.C. has the capacity and experience to deliver this COVID-19 vaccination campaign for this new age group,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a news release.
“I encourage parents to register their kids under the age of five, so they are invited to book an appointment, starting on Aug. 2.”
Kids aged six months to five years old are eligible, and must be registered in the province’s vaccine booking system to receive an invitation to book an appointment.
Parents can still register kids who are not yet six months old, and should expect an invite when they reach that age.
“We know that these vaccines are safe and have helped the province weather the COVID-19 pandemic so far,” acting provincial health officer Dr. Martin Lavoie said.
“Although most children who are infected with this virus have no symptoms or mild symptoms, unfortunately we know that some can get very sick and these vaccines are key to keeping our communities healthy and safe.”
For children who have already had COVID, the national committee has recommended waiting eight weeks after the start of symptoms or a positive test result before getting vaccinated.
This interval may be shortened to four weeks for children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, the province said.
The Moderna vaccine for children is a two-dose series, given eight weeks apart.
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