Health Canada is reviewing two different vaccines for use in children as young as five years old, with both Pfizer and Moderna putting forward options. (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

IMMUNIZATION PUSH

B.C. awaits approval of vaccine doses for children ahead of busy holiday season

Nov 16, 2021 | 4:11 PM

NANAIMO — B.C.’s provincial health officer hopes kids could receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Christmas.

Health Canada is currently looking over vaccines for children put forth for approval by both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The Moderna vaccine is designed for kids ages six to 11, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is for kids ages five to 11.

In her Tuesday, Nov. 16 update, Dr. Bonnie Henry said they are expecting a decision from Health Canada soon and are assured there will be enough vaccines for the just over 300,000 children in those age groups living in B.C.

“This is a version that is designed specifically for children. It has a smaller dose, about 10 milligrams…that will mean less pain and discomfort with the shot. It also means this is tailored for the immune systems of younger children so that it doesn’t cause as much side effects and it can be strongly effective as well.”

Dr. Henry said the United States has already rolled out a vaccine program for kids and she and her team are monitoring that situation.

armed robbery

Knife-wielding man robs south Nanaimo liquor store

45m ago

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

7h ago

off the schedule

BC Ferries preemptively cancels early Saturday sailings

14h ago

Current immunization plans suggest vaccines for children will be encouraged to give them as much protection as possible, but will not be mandatory.

“The best path to immunity is not through illness, it’s through immunization and I encourage parents across the province to start looking into that now.”

She said parents should speak to their family doctor and pediatricians about the vaccinations in order to get as much information as possible before booking an appointment. They can also go to B.C. Centre for Disease Control website.

Henry also confirmed the first case of the variant known as the AY.4.2 strain, a sub-lineage of the Delta variant, was confirmed in our province.

She said this mutation is normal and there are about 120 different versions of the Delta variant. This particular strain was first found in the UK, not in Western Canada, a rumour which she asked about last week.

Different types of the Delta variant account for about two-thirds of the cases here in B.C.

“All viruses mutate, we know that, and development of these new lineages which are unique to geographic areas are really expected over time when we have ongoing transmissions in our communities. We are watching closely.”

New data was also presented on healthcare worker immunization in B.C.

A total of 2,885 workers remain unvaccinated, but the number continues to go down with 97 per cent of staff now fully vaccinated.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW