With Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine now approved for infants and preschoolers, the B.C. government is pushing for parents to register their children under the age of five to get vaccinated.
Starting Aug. 2, regional health authorities will begin offering the vaccine to those aged six months to four years at clinics in all communities across the province, the government says.
According to a press release, that means around 208,000 infants and children in B.C. are eligible and will soon be able to receive vaccine protection against the virus.
“B.C. has the capacity and experience to deliver this COVID-19 vaccination campaign for this new age group,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said, noting that since the start of the province’s vaccination campaign, nearly 12 million doses have been administered.
On Thursday, Health Canada gave the green light to Moderna’s vaccine for those as young as six months old, with doses for children under five given one-quarter the size approved for adults and two doses given four weeks apart.
READ MORE: Health Canada approves first COVID-19 vax for youngest kids
“We know that these vaccines are safe and have helped the province weather the COVID-19 pandemic so far,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie, acting provincial health officer.
“Although most children who are infected with this virus have no symptoms or mild symptoms, unfortunately we know that some can get very sick and these vaccines are key to keeping our communities healthy and safe.”
For children who have already had COVID-19, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends waiting eight weeks after the start of COVID-19 symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test before getting vaccinated.
However, this time period may be shortened to four weeks for children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, the government added.
Parents or guardians can register their children now through the provincial Get Vaccinated system, and once registration is complete, they’ll be invited to book a vaccination at a clinic when the immunization program starts in August.
For children under six months of age, parents or guardians can still register their child and can expect an invitation once the child reaches six months old.
CHEK News
