The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is again postponing routine, school-based immunization clinics for Grade 7 and 8 students in anticipation of a COVID vaccine approved for children soon.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the region, said he regrets having to postpone the routine immunizations again, but the decision was made to make sure the health unit has capacity to run mass immunization clinics for children when the time comes.
This year, the health unit was supposed to be offering catch-up vaccinations to current Grade 8 students whose clinics were postponed last year.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, in Grade 7, children should receive the following vaccines:
- meningococcal conjugate (Men-C-ACYW)
- hepatitis b
- human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Between 14 and 16 years old, teens should receive the tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine
Gardner said the health unit will offer catch-up vaccines to this year's Grade 7 students when they are in Grade 8, and to this year's Grade 8 students later in the current school year and during the next school year.
Families who would like to get the recommended immunizations can reach out to their primary healthcare provider to get the vaccines through their doctor's office.
Pfizer-BioNTech has submitted its formal request to Health Canada for approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
According to Gardner, that approval might come soon, and the vaccines could be ready for administration before the end of the calendar year.
The doctor said this will be one of the largest child vaccination campaigns of its nature.
"One would have to go back to polio immunization years for a similar event with mass immunization of young, school-age children," he said.
The approach will be different for children, who will require a parent or guardian with them for consent and, perhaps, for comfort.
"It takes more time, and there's added sensitivity," said Gardner. "We do have those challenges to work with."
The doctor said last week the health unit is working on a plan for vaccinating children, and is on standby until Health Canada approvals are in place.
There are approximately 70,000 to 75,000 kids under 12 years old in Simcoe-Muskoka, based on population information from Statistics Canada. The Pfizer application is to seek approvals for only children between five and 11 years old.
