Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s Acting Medical Officer of Health believes vaccinating children will help to control climbing numbers of COVID-19 in our region.
The provincial booking portal for COVID-19 shots for children ages 5 to 11 is now open.
Dr. Ethan Toumishey says youth 17 and under now make up about a third of new cases.
“So we’re seeing this circulating, particularly amongst younger kids, and we see that those who haven’t been eligible for the vaccine, that plays into it. So, this should make a huge difference in how much COVID-19 is circling in the community and for the kids’ lives. So, the disruptions we see for school with activities, for children and their families.”
Last year at this time, children accounted for about 15% of cases.
He adds there will be plenty of appointments available locally.
“We know people are active on our site and booking for appointments so, we’re gonna be working to keep up with the demand. But, we should be able to get as many people vaccinated within the next few weeks as they want.”
The health unit’s COVID dashboard shows that, as of Tuesday, 17 of the region’s 80 active cases are among youth 17 and under.
Click here fore information on pediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and how to book appointments.
