Alberta expected to receive vaccine for kids Monday, bookings for late next week
Posted November 19, 2021 5:44 pm.
Last Updated November 19, 2021 5:46 pm.
After Health Canada authorized the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children aged five to 11, Alberta is expecting the vaccines to arrive on Monday.
In a statement on Friday, the province says it expects to begin administering the vaccine by late next week if supply arrives when expected.
There are 390,000 children who fall under the five to 11 age group.
NEW:
Alberta expects to start administering vaccines for 5-11 year olds by late next week. #yeg #yyc #ableg #Covid19ab pic.twitter.com/dkIVmqnJM3
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) November 19, 2021
Canada is expecting an accelerated delivery of 2.9 million child-sized doses of the vaccine, enough for a first dose for every child in the five to 11 age group.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech say the results of their trials in children show comparable safety and efficacy results to those recorded in a previous study in adults aged 16 to 25.
“After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, the Department has determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years of age outweigh the risks,” officials said in a statement released Friday.
The kids’ vaccine was approved with a three-week interval between doses, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has suggested at least eight weeks between doses. Evidence has shown that a longer interval between doses increases the efficacy of the drug, and may even reduce the risk of rare side effects like inflammation of the heart.
More information on vaccine bookings in Alberta will be provided when they are available.
Parents can pre-register their children in the Alberta Vaccine Booking system to ensure they are ready once appointments open.
– With files from John Marchesan and The Canadian Press
