Children aged five to 11 will be able to get vaccinated across the province starting on Monday if they have been pre-registered.
This comes after Health Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for kids last week.
“We all want to make the best decisions for our young ones, and the most important thing to know is that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 in children,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
“The pediatric vaccine is welcome news for parents and children, bringing us one step further in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and helping us put this pandemic behind us.”
The announcement also comes with different vaccination regulations.
Doses of the vaccine will be given eight weeks apart and parents must give either verbal or written consent.
“This is a vaccine that is safe, that has been through rigorous review. It is important parents get the information to protect their kids,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer.
“This is important for us to safely support families getting back to many of the activities important to them. We are very excited about this.”
The children’s vaccine has a lesser dose than the adult shot and children must have had a fifth birthday to get a dose and it’s not based on the calendar year.
Dr. Henry noted that some parents are anxious about letting their kids get the shot, but she said more than three million kids have been immunized in the United States and no additional safety issues have been raised.
Provincial officials said there are no vaccine mandates for kids and they will not be added to the provincial vaccine card.
