Health Canada has yet to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children, but Manitoba's Health Minister says our province will be ready when that announcement comes.
"We are confident approval of the pediatric vaccine will come soon," says Audrey Gordon. "We encourage all Manitobans to start having family conversations now about how vaccination works and how it will help keep our families, friends and classmates safe and healthy."
There are approximately 125,000 children aged five to 11 living in Manitoba.
"Our number one priority is to protect the health and well-being of our children and our most vulnerable Manitobans," adds Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson. "As we prepare for this next milestone in our fight against COVID-19, we are dedicated to supporting parents and guardians who will be making the important decision with their children to get fully vaccinated."
The first doses of the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 are expected to be available in Manitoba as early as one week after the vaccine is approved. The vaccine would be offered through provincial and regional vaccine clinics, physicians' offices, pharmacies, urban Indigenous clinics and pop-up community clinics. Walk-ins will be an option at some locations and in-school vaccinations will be offered in the coming weeks, both during and after school hours.
Parents and caregivers will be able to make appointments once the vaccine is approved and arrives in Manitoba. The province will provide further information once appointments can be booked.
In an effort to increase the accessibility of the vaccine, the Premier and Health Minister note a policy change has been made to allow pharmacists to immunize all children in this age group against COVID-19 and influenza when the vaccine is approved. Previously, pharmacists could only vaccinate children ages seven or older.
"Although children and youth are less likely than adults to get critically ill from COVID-19, they can still get sick and spread the virus to others at school and in the community," says Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of the Vaccine Implementation Task Force. "COVID cases are rising in Manitoba, and the majority of new cases are now among children who haven't had the opportunity to be immunized. This vaccine is being rigorously tested and reviewed. That process has been careful, with no steps being missed, and we'll be ready."
The province is expected to receive enough supply of the vaccine from Pfizer to allow all children ages five to 11 to get their first dose. The dosage for this age group would be one-third of the Pfizer vaccine already available.
As of November 16, the province reported the following statistics for the five to 11 age group:
to date, there have been 6,091 COVID-19 cases in Manitoba;
in the 2021-22 school year, 13 school outbreaks have resulted in a move to remote learning;
27 children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and seven of these children were admitted to the intensive care unit; and
one child has died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.