WECHU preparing for COVID-19 vaccinations of kids aged five to 11

In this March 24, 2021 image, Alejandra Gerardo, 9, looks up to her mom, Dr. Susanna Naggie, as she gets the first of two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations during a clinical trial for children at Duke Health in Durham, N.C. (Shawn Rocco/Duke Health via AP)

Windsor, Ont. -

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is developing plans for the vaccination of children aged five to 11 once that age group is approved to receive COVID-19 shots.

Health Unit CEO Nicole Dupuis said they are doing similar planning to other health regions in Ontario.

“We are working internally as well, all health units collectively across the province are working in coordination with the ministry to be prepared for additional announcements related to vaccinations certainly for the vaccination for the ages of 5 to 11.”

Health officials in Peel Region, Middlesex-London, Hamilton, Ottawa and York Region also said they were making arrangements, pending approval from Health Canada and guidance from the province.

“We don’t’ have an exact target date per say so it’s a little more difficult, but we are working on our plans,” says Dupuis.

Children born after 2009 are currently not eligible to receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada. Pfizer has said it intends to seek authorization soon for a vaccine intended for kids aged five to 11.

A spokeswoman for Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province is working with public health and other partners to administer the vaccines to children in that age group ``as soon as they are approved by Health Canada.''

``In the coming weeks, we will make sure that parents and children are well aware of the options that are available to them to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,'' Alexandra Hilkene said in a statement.

Acting medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex Dr. Shanker Nesathurai says WECHU will be working with hospital partners, primary care providers and pharmacies in the coming weeks.

“I’m hopefully that we’ll have a multi-model channel of distribution, and as it relates to young people, it’s particular important that our colleagues in family practice are able to be included in distribution,” says Nesathurai.

With files from The Canadian Press.