Saskatchewan has ordered 112,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 to be delivered by mid-November.
The SHA is putting plans in place in anticipation of the Health Canada approval.
They note that children are playing a role in the transmission of the virus even though they may be less likely to develop serious illness.
Vaccinations will be available at participating pharmacies, SHA walk-in clinics, mobile clinics, at schools and at venues with easy community access near schools.
The Pfizer children’s vaccine is a different formulation with a smaller dose of vaccine. Pfizer studies indicate the vaccine had no safety concerns among children five to 11 years of age. The studies revealed that expected vaccine side effects such as soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and chills were well tolerated and resolved in 1-2 days. Children in this age group have very good immune responses when they receive two doses as recommended, according to the SHA.
The SHA also pointed out that vaccination is voluntary and informed parental or guardian consent must be provided and will be documented in the child’s immunization record.
The SHA is encouraging vaccination uptake when it is available for children in the five to 11 age group, as they say high community vaccination rates will help to protect those under five who are currently too young to be vaccinated.
When the vaccine is available, appointments can be made by calling 1-833-Sask-VAX (1-833-727-5829) or online at Saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine.