“I know this day is one that many parents have been waiting for for some time. Many will be relieved that their child is now eligible,” said Manitoba Public Health Chief Dr. Brent Roussin during Wednesday evening news. conference. “This vaccine has a very safe profile and is effective.” Health Canada approved Moderna’s two-dose vaccine for children ages six months to four years last week. The dose is about a quarter of the size of the adult dose. There are about 76,700 children in Manitoba in the under-five age group, but the province only receives 14,900 doses in the first delivery, Rusin said. As a result, when bookings for the doses open on Monday, July 25 at 8 a.m., they will initially be limited to children who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, or have any of these conditions:
Chronic lung disease. Abnormalities of the airways. Congenital or chronic heart or circulatory diseases. Moderate to severely compromised immunity due to medical condition or treatment. Neurological disorders (including developmental delay). Diabetes, chronic kidney disease or any chronic condition associated with premature birth.
Eligibility will be expanded to include more children in the under-five age group when more vaccines are delivered in the province, Rusin said. A second shipment of vaccine is expected in late July or early August. The first doses are expected to arrive at the end of this week and will then be shipped to various locations, including regional vaccine sites, public health offices and medical clinics. The province is also working with First Nations leadership to coordinate distribution in their communities. They will not be available in pharmacies because pharmacists are not legally able to vaccinate children in this age group, at least for now.
Pharmacists ready to help
Roussin said public health may look to pharmacists for help at some point, and Pharmacists Manitoba says it’s ready and willing. “Pharmacists across the province are certainly prepared and ready to help keep our community safe in any way possible. And so, if the province calls on us to help immunize younger children, we’re ready to step up to the plate,” said Tim Smith, the agency’s pharmacy consultant. Barbara Violo, pharmacist and owner of The Junction Chemist Pharmacy, prepares a dose of a vaccine for COVID-19 in Toronto. Pharmacists Manitoba says its members are ready and willing to help vaccinate young children if regulations are expanded to allow it. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) Other jurisdictions like Ontario allow pharmacists to vaccinate children as young as two years old, and Smith says it’s not much different than vaccinating other age groups. “There’s likely to be some additional training that may be recommended or additional training that may be required. We’ll just have to wait and see what the discussions between the government and the Manitoba College of Pharmacists and us look like.” said Smith. Reservations will be available through the online vaccine finder or through the vaccine call center at 1-844-626-8222, the province says. For those who need to make an appointment for more than one child, the province recommends calling instead of booking online in order to make appointments as close together as possible.
Children can have severe COVID effects: Roussin
Although children in the under-five age group don’t see serious effects from COVID-19 as often as the elderly, Rusin said it’s still important to protect themselves. “We saw seriously [COVID-19] results … in kids who didn’t even have significant health problems, so it’s definitely happening,” he said. “We definitely recommend it [vaccination] … especially in this cohort right now, which represents the highest risk children.” WATCHES | Dr Roussin says children can get seriously ill with COVID-19:
Serious effects in children rare, but possible
Dr. Brent Roussin encourages all caregivers and parents to vaccinate their children under five against COVID-19 because, although rare, it is possible for relatively healthy children to become very ill. Roussin encouraged parents and caregivers of children who are not considered high-risk to vaccinate them when they become eligible. The province recommends that children in this age group wait eight weeks between the first and second doses of the vaccine. The National Immunization Advisory Committee recommends that children who have received other vaccines wait two weeks before getting their COVID-19 vaccine in order to be monitored for any side effects. Manitoba’s approach is consistent with that of NACI, but children who have received a different vaccine within 14 days will not be prevented. To date, more than three million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people living in Manitoba, the province says. About 43 percent of five- to 11-year-olds are considered fully immunized with at least two doses, while nearly 80 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have at least two doses of the vaccine. WATCHES | Full press conference on COVID-19 | July 20, 2022:
Manitoba government coronavirus update: July 20, 2022
Dr. Brent Roussin gives an update on COVID-19 in Manitoba: Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
title: “Manitoba Parents Can Book A Covid 19 Vaccination For At Risk Indigenous Children Under 5 Starting Monday " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Robert Hill”
“I know this day is one that many parents have been waiting for for some time. Many will be relieved that their child is now eligible,” said Manitoba Public Health Chief Dr. Brent Roussin during Wednesday evening news. conference. “This vaccine has a very safe profile and is effective.” Health Canada approved Moderna’s two-dose vaccine for children ages six months to four years last week. The dose is about a quarter of the size of the adult dose. There are about 76,700 children in Manitoba in the under-five age group, but the province only receives 14,900 doses in the first delivery, Rusin said. As a result, when bookings for the doses open on Monday, July 25 at 8 a.m., they will initially be limited to children who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, or have any of these conditions:
Chronic lung disease. Abnormalities of the airways. Congenital or chronic heart or circulatory diseases. Moderate to severely compromised immunity due to medical condition or treatment. Neurological disorders (including developmental delay). Diabetes, chronic kidney disease or any chronic condition associated with premature birth.
Eligibility will be expanded to include more children in the under-five age group when more vaccines are delivered in the province, Rusin said. A second shipment of vaccine is expected in late July or early August. The first doses are expected to arrive at the end of this week and will then be shipped to various locations, including regional vaccine sites, public health offices and medical clinics. The province is also working with First Nations leadership to coordinate distribution in their communities. They will not be available in pharmacies because pharmacists are not legally able to vaccinate children in this age group, at least for now.
Pharmacists ready to help
Roussin said public health may look to pharmacists for help at some point, and Pharmacists Manitoba says it’s ready and willing. “Pharmacists across the province are certainly prepared and ready to help keep our community safe in any way possible. And so, if the province calls on us to help immunize younger children, we’re ready to step up to the plate,” said Tim Smith, the agency’s pharmacy consultant. Barbara Violo, pharmacist and owner of The Junction Chemist Pharmacy, prepares a dose of a vaccine for COVID-19 in Toronto. Pharmacists Manitoba says its members are ready and willing to help vaccinate young children if regulations are expanded to allow it. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press) Other jurisdictions like Ontario allow pharmacists to vaccinate children as young as two years old, and Smith says it’s not much different than vaccinating other age groups. “There’s likely to be some additional training that may be recommended or additional training that may be required. We’ll just have to wait and see what the discussions between the government and the Manitoba College of Pharmacists and us look like.” said Smith. Reservations will be available through the online vaccine finder or through the vaccine call center at 1-844-626-8222, the province says. For those who need to make an appointment for more than one child, the province recommends calling instead of booking online in order to make appointments as close together as possible.
Children can have severe COVID effects: Roussin
Although children in the under-five age group don’t see serious effects from COVID-19 as often as the elderly, Rusin said it’s still important to protect themselves. “We saw seriously [COVID-19] results … in kids who didn’t even have significant health problems, so it’s definitely happening,” he said. “We definitely recommend it [vaccination] … especially in this cohort right now, which represents the highest risk children.” WATCHES | Dr Roussin says children can get seriously ill with COVID-19:
Serious effects in children rare, but possible
Dr. Brent Roussin encourages all caregivers and parents to vaccinate their children under five against COVID-19 because, although rare, it is possible for relatively healthy children to become very ill. Roussin encouraged parents and caregivers of children who are not considered high-risk to vaccinate them when they become eligible. The province recommends that children in this age group wait eight weeks between the first and second doses of the vaccine. The National Immunization Advisory Committee recommends that children who have received other vaccines wait two weeks before getting their COVID-19 vaccine in order to be monitored for any side effects. Manitoba’s approach is consistent with that of NACI, but children who have received a different vaccine within 14 days will not be prevented. To date, more than three million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people living in Manitoba, the province says. About 43 percent of five- to 11-year-olds are considered fully immunized with at least two doses, while nearly 80 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have at least two doses of the vaccine. WATCHES | Full press conference on COVID-19 | July 20, 2022:
Manitoba government coronavirus update: July 20, 2022
Dr. Brent Roussin gives an update on COVID-19 in Manitoba: Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
