Alberta opens COVID-19 vaccines for children Tuesday: Here's what you need to know
Health experts are urging parents to get their children and babies vaccinated for COVID-19 now, ahead of the fall and return to school.
On Friday, the province announced immunizations for Albertans ages six months to five years open on Aug. 2 — the last Canadian jurisdiction to do so.
First dose appointments must be booked through the online vaccine portal or by calling Health Link at 811.
The recommended dose for children ages six months to 11 years is a series of two doses, with an interval of at least eight weeks between each shot.
Children will receive the Moderna Spikevax vaccine, approved by Health Canada two weeks ago.
For those who are immunocompromised, three doses can be administered, with an interval of four to eight weeks between each vaccine appointment. Children on First Nations can access doses at nursing stations or public health clinics on-reserve.
For parents worried about how their child will react, Dr. Tehseen Ladha, pediatrician and University of Alberta assistant professor, says communication and preparation is key.
"Practice at home with a pencil, with a toy," Ladha said. "Show them where it's going to go into their body. Tell them that it will hurt a little bit.
"It's important to be honest so that they know what to expect," Ladha added. "The truth is always better. Otherwise, they become more fearful because they don't know what's happening."
She also recommends bringing a distraction to the appointment, like a book or a toy.
"It's always important to have a reward at the end," Ladha said. "That can really help as well. So something to look forward to, a treat or an activity."
Pharmacists are only allowed to administer vaccines to children aged five years or older, with younger kids being vaccinated by Alberta Health Services nurse or doctor.
"If children end up having COVID, there is a potential for long-term consequences of COVID infection," said Wilson Tat, a pharmacist at PharmaChoice South Boulevard Pharmacy in Edmonton.
"There's something called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) that is currently being studied for whereby children who do have COVID are at risk for some long-term consequences."
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said that while most children are not at a high risk of severe outcomes from the virus, those under five have higher risks than those between five and 11.
“I encourage parents and guardians to speak to a trusted health-care provider for questions about their child's health, including questions about COVID-19 and immunization,” she added in a statement.
While serious illness among children is rare, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has said the number of children hospitalized for COVID-19 dramatically increased as the Omicron variant spread last winter.
The average monthly rate of young children hospitalized because of COVID-19 was 15.9 per 100,000 children under five in the first three months of 2022. That figure is up from 1.4 per 100,000 during the first two years of the pandemic.
The announcement means approximately 234,000 more Albertans will become eligible for the COVID-19 shot and that as of Tuesday, all Canadian provinces will have begun administering or at least booking appointments for young children.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.