Ottawa Public Health will start vaccinating children against COVID-19 on Friday
Ottawa parents will be able to start booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments for their children on Tuesday, with the first doses administered next Friday.
Ottawa Public Health is preparing to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to 77,000 children following Health Canada's approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children.
"We're working hard to make sure the booking system will show the appointments available as of Tuesday, and people will be able to have the appointments booked starting on Friday," said medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches during an interview on CTV News at Six Saturday evening.
Etches said there will be under 2,000 appointments at Ottawa's community clinics on the first day, and some pharmacies will have appointments on Friday.
"After that, we'll be up meeting the capacity of at least 26,000 (appointments) a week," said Etches.
Parents and guardians will be able to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment through the provincial booking system.
Ottawa Public Health says its plan ensures first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be available to 77,000 eligible children ages five to 11 in Ottawa, within four weeks of the vaccine authorization and delivery. The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech are scheduled to arrive in Canada on Sunday.
Children will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at seven community clinics in Ottawa, operating seven days a week.
“There are currently 10 vaccine hubs in communities where we have learned it’s harder for people to get out to a larger clinic and those are continuing, those will be walk-in for people living in those areas," said Dr. Etches about other locations available for children to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
"And then we will have schools as another avenue. We’ll be advertising with the parents as they're coming available in the school community, we’ll have our school nurses there and in the surrounding schools helping parents who may not be able to come out to another setting.”
Ottawa Public Health will host 73 after-hours school pop-up vaccination clinics over a four-week period. Vaccinations for children will also be available at some Ottawa pharmacies and family physicians.
CTV News at Six anchor Stefan Keyes asked Dr. Etches if the COVID-19 vaccine will be enough to slow the spread of the Delta variant in the younger age group.
"It will certainly help. We know this vaccine is effective and safe. Just as we see in older children 12 and above, that does protect them from the transmission," said Etches.
"We’ve seen much less COVID in school for children 12-years-old and above, so this is what we’re looking to extend downwards and I know many people are looking forward to it."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.