The local health unit is preparing a plan to get COVID-19 vaccines to children under 12, but it's on standby until Health Canada gives the go-ahead.
Local medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner says the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is "actively working" with primary care providers, community pharmacies and school boards to map out a system to get vaccinations to children and infants in the region.
"We are planning some community-based clinics in locations throughout our regions, including some at schools on evenings and weekends," said Gardner. "We do want to allow for multiple ways by which parents would be able to take their kids to get immunized."
However, it's "merely planning" at this stage and the health unit is waiting for Health Canada approval of a vaccine and provincial direction for distribution.
At this time, no COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for children under 12 years old in Canada. Clinical trials are underway to determine if the vaccines are safe and effective in infants and children under 12 years old, and whether children will need smaller doses.
Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted preliminary data and are expected to file for authorization from Health Canada in mid-October, which does not mean the vaccine would be approved for children at that time.
The timeline for approval is unclear. CBC reported the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for adults took two months from its first data submissions to Health Canada to its approval.
As of Oct. 5, 75 per cent of the population of Simcoe-Muskoka region has had two doses of a vaccine against COVID-19 and 70 per cent is fully vaccinated.
About 75 per cent of the region's youth population (12 to 17 years old) has been fully vaccinated.
