Children turning five this year not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccine: OPH
Ottawa parents who have booked their four-year-old for a COVID-19 vaccine or their 17-year-old for a booster dose are being asked not to show up for scheduled appointments.
Some parents of children turning five this year were able to book appointments for them through the provincial booking system before their birthdays. And parents of 17-year-olds who turn 18 this year were also able to book booster doses for them.
However, Ottawa Public Health now says those children remain ineligible for shots, and the appointments were able to be booked due to an issue with the provincial system.
“We are currently unable to vaccinate children under 5-years or provide booster doses for those under 18-years,” the health unit tweeted on Tuesday.
“As of Jan. 3, 2022,we have received provincial direction that health units NOT vaccinate residents under 5-years of age or provide boosters to those under 18-years of age.”
The health unit says it’s working with the province to find a solution for people who have already booked appointments, and will follow up with those who were already vaccinated prior to this provincial direction coming down.
“The province has informed us they intend to have this issue with the provincial vaccine booking system resolved by Jan. 7,” OPH said.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said the reason children turning five in 2021 were eligible when the vaccine was first made available to them was because it was near the end of the year so their fifth birthdays were not far away. She also said that OPH will be reaching out to families of four-year-olds who got a vaccine to inform them of the best course of action when it comes to receiving the second dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.