43 per cent of Ottawa children aged 5 to 11 receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in two weeks

Sam and Noah receive the COVID-19 vaccine for kids at the Queensway Carleton Hospital on Friday, Nov. 26. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/QCHOttawa)

Two weeks after the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children were administered in Ottawa, more than 40 per cent of 5 to 11 year olds have received their first dose.

Ottawa Public Health says 32,529 children aged 5 to 11 have received their first shot since appointments began on Nov. 26. That's 43 per cent of all children in the age group.

"The time to protect your children with vaccination is now, with rates of COVID growing very steeply in children 5-11 and with the risk of encountering COVID-19 expected to keep growing," said medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches.

Ottawa and the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health Unit have the highest rates of vaccination for children among all public health units in Ontario, at 43 per cent.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reports 23 per cent of 5 to 11 year olds have received one dose, while Renfrew County and District Health Unit says 17 per cent of children have received their first shot.

Ottawa Public Health is hosting pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics for children at several schools this weekend.

SATURDAY

• Bayshore Public School on Woodridge Crescent – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
• D. Roy Kennedy Public School on Woodroffe Avenue – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
• École élémentaire catholique Horizon-Jeunesse on McArthur Avenue – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.

SUNDAY

• Carson Grove Elementary School on Matheson Road – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
• Roberta Bondar Public School on Lorry Greenberg Drive – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.
• École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Anne on Beausoleil Drive – 10 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.

Overall, 82 per cent of Ottawa residents aged 5 and older have received two shots of the COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated, 88 per cent have received one dose.

OTTAWA COVID-19 VACCINE QUICK STATS

• Ottawa residents with at least one dose: 875,281
• Ottawa residents with two doses: 816,812
• Percent of population 5 and older with at least one dose: 88 per cent
• Percent of population 5 and older with two doses: 82 per cent

(Ottawa Public Health data as of Dec. 10)

Vaccination coverage by age* for Ottawa residents with at least one dose

• 5-11: 43 per cent (32,529 people)
•  12-17: 97 per cent (64,218 people)
•  18-29: 83 per cent (155,765 people)
•  30-39: 83 per cent (131,488 people)
•  40-49: 93 per cent (124,939 people)
•  50-59: 94 per cent (131,803 people)
•  60-69: 95 per cent (113,240 people)
•  70-79: 99 per cent (75,213 people)
•  80 and older: 105 per cent** (44,582 people)
• Unknown age: 2,258 people

Vaccination coverage by age* for Ottawa residents who are fully vaccinated

•  12-17: 93 per cent (61,275 people)
•  18-29: 79 per cent (147,935 people)
•  30-39: 80 per cent (126,289 people)
•  40-49: 90 per cent (121,667 people)
•  50-59: 92 per cent (129,112 people)
•  60-69: 94 per cent (111,400 people)
•  70-79: 98 per cent (74,183 people)
•  80 and older: 103 per cent** (43,466 people)
• Unknown age: 2,159 people

*OPH now assigns people to age categories based on year of birth, rather than date of birth. An 11-year-old born in 2009 is now included in the age 12-17 calculations, while a 17-year-old born in 2003 is included in the 18-29 category, etc.

**A 2020 population estimates suggest there are 42,388 people in Ottawa 80 and older. The current number of vaccinated people in that age category is slightly higher than that figure.