Here's when Waterloo Region will start vaccinating 5-11-year-olds
Health partners in Waterloo Region will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to children between five and 11 years old on Friday.
Appointments will open on the region's vaccination booking site for that age group on Tuesday.
A news release from the region said they've opened "a sufficient number of appointments" for the next four weeks so children can get a first dose before the holidays.
Health Canada announced the Pfizer vaccine was approved for children under 12 on Friday and the first doses of the child's vaccine landed in Canada over the weekend.
Vaccines will be administered at regional clinics, primary care offices and pharmacies.
Ontario released its guidance for vaccinating children on Monday. The region said it will receive vaccine doses for children between five and 11 in two shipments in the coming days.
Children in this age group can receive their second dose in eight weeks.
Kelly Grindrod, a vaccine expert at the University of Waterloo, said the region has put a lot of planning into making the mass vaccination sites kid-friendly.
"Including building it around how kids want to get their vaccines," Grindrod said. "You've got a lot of really experienced vaccinators as well who might be very good at working with kids, distracting kids."
The region said its three clinics, located at Cambridge Pinebush, The Boardwalk and Wellesley, will only administer first and second doses between Nov. 27 and Dec. 12 to prioritize vaccinating children.
Pinebush will increase capacity on Dec. 11 and 12 with a goal to vaccinate 3,000 children per day for an "Every Dose Counts" event.
Anyone eligible for a third dose will be able to get one at a regional clinic until this Friday. Third dose appointments will open again on Dec. 13.
The region said it's working with local school boards to create opportunities to vaccinate children at schools. Dates and locations of school vaccination clinics will be available in the coming days.
Anyone with concerns about the vaccine is encouraged to speak with their family doctor, paediatrician or another health professional. Resources are also available on the region's website.
FAMILY DOCTORS OFFER VACCINE CLINIC IN GUELPH
Family doctors in Guelph have teamed up to offer a vaccination clinic for children between five and 11 at Stone Road Mall.
“With the expectation of vaccinating the roughly 10,500 Guelph children in this age group, having one site with easy access is the goal. The site in the mall (near the escalator and elevator to lower level) is a great collaboration between the Guelph Family Health Team and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. We have collaborated to pull this together quickly to make this important public health measure as successful as possible," Ross Kirkconnell, the executive director of the Guelph Family Health Team, said in a news release.
The clinic will be open 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, staring on Nov. 25. It will stay open until Dec. 16.
Currently, appointments can be booked by phone at 1-800-265-7293 x 7006. Online appointments should open through WDG Public Health over the next few days, the release said.
Once the clinic wraps up, vaccines will still be available at public health clinics, doctors offices and pharmacies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.