During Friday’s community COVID-19 update, Waterloo Region’s Medical Officer of Health was asked about COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under the age of 12.
“There are trials ongoing for children under 12 and the expectation is the trial results will be ready by the end of September, and the hope is that sometime in October or November we will have approval to start administering vaccines to children under 12,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang.
She added the region is already planning for the roll-out and it will happen as soon as any vaccine is approved for that age group.
“It does remain important that we try to immunize as many children as we can once we know we’re able to do so.”
Dr. Wang said we’re seeing COVID-19 spread locally in unimmunized groups, including young children.
“So there’s obviously immunization that will have a significant impact on that when it becomes available later this fall, but there’s also everything we can do now to reduce the level of community spread that can also indirectly protect children.”
There have been talks recently about whether COVID-19 vaccines should be mandatory for students.
Dr. Wang said she is in favour of policies that help increase the immunization rates.
“We have for a long time in Ontario had an Immunization of School Peoples Act. It’s something that does help increase the rates of coverage in vaccine preventable diseases.”
Dr. Wang noted it will ultimately be a provincial decision.
