COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 could help change course of pandemic: doctor

As many parents eagerly await the results of Health Canada’s review of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged five to 11, a pediatrician says approval of the shot would be a key piece in helping us get out of this ongoing pandemic.

A decision is expected in the coming weeks, though no official timeline has been provided.

Dr. Ran Goldman, who is a UBC professor of pediatrics, says it’s important we get children vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.

“I’m really excited that we’re going to see soon a vaccine for children five to 11 years of age,” he told CityNews this week, noting kids make up about 15 to 20 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in Canada.

“In order to get to herd immunity — this phenomenon where a large proportion of the population is vaccinated — you can’t ignore 25 per cent of the population, which are children.”

He explains while kids don’t typically get as sick as adults when infected with the coronavirus, some complications can arise.

“Having a child in the hospital or in the intensive care unit is terrible for the child and their family, and, although rare, we do see complications from COVID,” Goldman said.

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“First and foremost, they may have a more severe illness and will need to go to the hospital. Others will have a very rare complication called MIS-C — a severe inflammation that can happen a few weeks after COVID.”

He goes on to say research shows up to 10 per cent of children can get long-COVID, with prolonged symptoms well after infection.

Vaccinating children is also not just about protecting them but also those around them.

“Their parents, their grandparents, maybe young babies that are at home that are known to be at high risk for severe illness with COVID. So all good reasons to vaccinate children,” he added.

Health Canada says it’s still reviewing Pfizer’s application. The U.S. has already started vaccinating kids as young as five, with the health agency south of the border giving the vaccine the green light last week.

Currently, more than 85 per cent of the eligible Canadian population — those 12 and older — is fully vaccinated.

Goldman says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for more children to be part of the studies to ensure complications, like myocarditis, are not chronic, adding the FDA reviewed the subsequent data and approved the shot because of how rare they determined these complications to be.

While risks of developing severe complications are quite rare in children, he notes it’s not a situation anyone would want to take a chance on.

And even with some worried parents raising concerns about potential adverse effects from vaccines, Goldman explains there’s little real-life evidence that shows the shots are unsafe.

“Those concerns that parents have, they ask me about it. ‘What about those heart complications?’ Well, reading the literature — and I’m an evidence-based kind of guy — and reading the publications from different countries that vaccinated thousands and hundreds of thousands of children show that those heart complications, called myocarditis, are extremely rare,” he said.

Experts have previously stressed the importance of fighting misinformation while also addressing parental concern in order to have a successful rollout of the vaccines.

Everyone is urged to get their information from reliable sources.

While Pfizer’s vaccine is still being reviewed, Canada has already secured 2.9 million doses of the pediatric shot. Those doses would be shipped upon approval, with hopes of a quick rollout.

“I want people to be patient because Health Canada is going to be taking the time necessary to ensure that like all vaccines approved for use in Canada, vaccines approved for kids five to 11 will be fully safe and effective,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in October.

BREAKING: PM @JustinTrudeau announces the feds have a deal with Pfizer to receive millions of doses of the vaccine developed for children 5-11, once it receives Health Canada approval. It means we will have enough supply to vaccinate all Canadian kids in that age group # cdnpoli

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) October 21, 2021

“It is extremely important that they go through all the full processes necessary so that every parent can have confidence when these vaccines do get approved, that they will be safe for their children, to keep us all safe, to keep them safe, to keep our communities and schools safe as we move forward,” he added.

The pediatric shots are about one-third of the size of the doses given to people 12 and up. Officials have assured specific syringes needed to administer these shots are available here.

Parents in B.C. are already able to register their kids for the vaccine.