Saskatchewan to start COVID vaccinations for kids under 5 this week

Saskatchewan will start offering around 13,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of five at clinics this week.

Health Canada approved the vaccine for children aged six months to five years of age on July 14.

In a media release Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said appointments will open first to children in that age group who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Bookings will be open Thursday at 8:45 a.m.

Parents and guardians can call 1-833-727-5829. If there are other kids aged six months to five years in that household, their appointments also can be booked at that time.

All other bookings can be made Friday online starting at 8 a.m. or by calling 1-833-727-5829 starting at 8:45 a.m.

Clinics will open in selected sites across the province on Friday. The government said a variety of clinics will be available, offering both walk-in and booked appointments. A complete list of clinics will be posted to the province’s website once it is finalized.

Pharmacies won’t be participating in the vaccination program.

“Once appointments for those 13,000 doses are filled, appointments for children under five will be paused until additional vaccine supply is delivered,” the government said in a media release.

A parent or guardian must be present to provide verbal, informed consent of the vaccination. If the parent chooses an adult designate (such as a grandparent or other relative) to accompany the child for a vaccine, the parent has to sign a consent form.

It’s recommended that children get the two doses eight weeks apart. Kids who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should get three doses with an interval of four to eight weeks between doses.

Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, deputy chief medical health officer, said a plan for further booster doses is in the works and is anticipated to be released in mid-August. However, Kryzanowski said, the next two weeks will be focused on ensuring those between six months and five years  “who have not yet, to date, been eligible for a single vaccination against COVID-19” get their first layer of protection.

“To ensure that that population does have the opportunity to be vaccinated, we really want this week and for the next couple weeks to be focusing on that youngest age group,” Kryzanowski said.

Kids who have had COVID should wait eight weeks from the time of their infection to the time they start or complete their vaccine series. Immunocompromised children should wait four to eight weeks between infection and starting or completing their vaccine series.

While Kryzanowski said kids who have tested positive very recently should wait to get their vaccines, she noted that those who have been sick are still eligible for the shots.

“We do understand that there are many children who have had COVID infections, may or may not have had symptoms and have recovered from those infections,” Kryzanowski said. “They are still eligible to be vaccinated.”

According to the release, the province is aiming for mid-August to expand the eligibility for booster doses for those over the age of 12. Currently, everyone 12 and over is eligible for three doses, with those 50 and over eligible for a fourth dose.

–With files from Libby Giesbrecht.