Appointments offered across more rural parts of the North Central region are now booked out. (Submitted photo/Saskatchewan Health Authority)

By CKOM News

Kids’ COVID vaccinations in Saskatchewan to start Wednesday

Nov 22, 2021 | 11:52 AM

Saskatchewan will start vaccinating children between the ages of five and 11 against COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Sheila Anderson, the vaccine chief responsible for the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s COVID-19 immunization campaign, said during a media conference Monday that parents and guardians can start booking appointments online Tuesday.

The doses are to start arriving in the province’s larger centres on Tuesday.

More than 112,000 doses of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine are to arrive in Saskatchewan, enough to immunize every child in the province in the age group.

Parents or guardians will have to give their consent.

International Spotlight

P.A.'s Howe one of 4 Sask. born players named to Canada's World Junior roster

9h ago

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

13h ago

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

16h ago

“This is welcome news for families that want the protection that immunization provides for their children against serious disease,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a media release. “The immunization of this age cohort will also help to reduce transmission of the virus and ensure that children can continue to enjoy their friends and activities.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority will do the vaccinations in 221 clinics in 141 communities. There will be walk-in clinics and booked appointments, as well as extended hours for added convenience.

Vaccinations will also be available for five- to 11-year-olds from Indigenous Services Canada, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and participating pharmacies.

There also will be clinics at more than 100 schools, allowing parents or guardians to be on hand to support the children. Information on those clinics is to be shared with parents and students directly.

The provincial government said the locations of participating pharmacies will be updated here when the pharmacies get their supply of pediatric vaccine.

Dr. Tania Diener, the medical health officer responsible for immunization and physician co-lead of the SHA’s COVID-19 immunization campaign, said children can get a second dose within 21 days of the first, but it’s recommended that people should wait eight weeks between doses.

Diener said tests have shown the longer wait provided a “more robust and more durable response” to COVID.

Health Canada approved Pfizer’s vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11 on Friday. In clinical trials, the pediatric vaccine’s efficacy was 90.7 per cent for this age group.

Diener said side-effects are expected, but they usually resolve within one to two days. They have involved soreness at the injection site and muscle pain.

The pediatric vaccine will be smaller in volume than doses given to adolescents and adults.

Saskatchewan previously had outlined its initial plan for vaccinating kids on Oct. 26.

As of Sunday’s COVID update from the Ministry of Health, there have been 13,511 cases involving kids under the age of 11 since the pandemic started in Saskatchewan. The province has reported a total of 80,340 cases as of Sunday.