Ontario opening pediatric COVID-19 vaccine bookings July 28

Ontario parents can book COVID-19 vaccinations for kids aged six months to under five years old starting next Thursday, the government announced.

The province says pediatric vaccine bookings for that age group will open at 8 a.m. on July 28.

Shots can be booked through the province’s online portal, public health units that use their own booking systems, pharmacies, Indigenous-led clinics, as well as some primary care providers and pediatricians.

“The approval of a lower dose pediatric Moderna vaccine will give families the opportunity to provide an additional layer of protection against COVID-19 for the youngest members of their families,” said Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

“Getting vaccinated remains the best defence against COVID-19, and I encourage parents with questions to reach out to their health care provider, the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre or the SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service to make an informed choice for their family.”

The province says Moderna’s pediatric shots are being distributed over the next several days.

Immunocompromised youth aged 12 to 17 will also be able to schedule second booster doses next Thursday if six months have passed since their first booster dose or fourth shot.

RELATED: Ontario expands fourth shot eligibility to adults over 18

Last week, Health Canada has approved a COVID-19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers between the ages of six months and five years, making Moderna’s shot the first of its kind to be allowed for that age group in this country.

The approved Moderna Spikevax vaccine for this demographic is set to be given to eligible kids in two doses that are each a quarter of the adult dose.

A jar full of empty COVID-19 vaccine vials is shown at the Junction Chemist pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

“We know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and have helped lower the rate of infection in our communities throughout the pandemic,” said Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore.

“Although most children who get infected have no symptoms or mild symptoms, some can become very sick and require hospitalization. The vaccine offered to children aged six months to under five years is a lower dose that is safe and effective at protecting this age group from COVID-19.”

The Moderna vaccine should not be given to a child the same day they receive any other shot, NACI urges, adding the COVID-19 vaccination should take place 14 days before or after any other immunization.

Ontario recently expanded fourth vaccine eligibility to adults over the age of 18.

Dr. Moore noted that people who don’t have underlying health conditions could choose to wait for the fall when vaccines specifically targeting the Omicron variant may become available.

With files from The Canadian Press