At 8:00 am Tuesday vaccine appointments will be able to be booked through the Ontario vaccination portal, with a local health unit, or at a pharmacy.  In order to get an appointment children must be turning five by the end of this year.
Over one million children are eligible to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine which was approved by Health Canada late last week. It is expected kids will be able to begin getting their first shots by Thursday, November 25th.
“The approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is exciting news for families and represents a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Offering the protection of the vaccine to children aged five to 11 is a significant milestone in Ontario’s fight against COVID-19 in advance of the holiday season. We continue to encourage all Ontarians to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says this will help keep schools open, “Increasing vaccine rates will help to further minimize disruption and keep students learning in a more normal in-class experience. As a result of widespread ventilation improvements, increasing investments, and comprehensive testing options, Ontario has one of the lowest case rates for youth under 20 in Canada.”
In addition, the province, in conjunction with Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, has launched Operation Remote Immunity 3.0 (ORI 3.0) to support the administration of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 11 in Northern and Remote First Nation communities, as well as booster doses to eligible populations. ORI 3.0 will run until March 2022.
