Health Canada has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Dr. Meghani, Halton's Medical Officer of Health, provides five reasons that parents and guardians would be wondering about prior to vaccinating their children
Transcription
We all want what is best for our kids. Now that the covid19 vaccines are available for five to eleven-year-olds, I encourage you to make every effort to get your children vaccinated. Remember, before being approved for use in Canada, all vaccines are tested to make sure they are safe and effective.
Vaccines work.
We have consistently seen that the risk of covid19 infection hospitalization or ICU admissions is greater among the unvaccinated. In its clinical trials with children aged 5 to 11, Pfizer reported an efficacy rate of 91per cent against symptomatic COVID-19 and no cases of severe COVID-19 hospitalization or death.
I know many of you may have questions you need answered before making your decision. Today, I want to get that conversation started; and for those who need more information after this video message, I encourage you to speak to your child's healthcare provider and to seek out information on COVID-19 vaccines from credible sources. Covid vaccines for kids is a great place to learn about COVID-19 vaccines.
So with that, here are five key things you should know about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11.
1. Vaccination can help prevent your child from getting COVID-19
COVID_19 incidence rates among Halton residents have trended higher in the 0 to 19 year age group compared to other age groups over the fall of 2021. This represents hundreds of COVID-19 cases among Halton children just in the past few months.
While the good news is that most children have milder symptoms compared to adults, it's difficult to predict who may experience more severe symptoms and become seriously ill. Post-covid symptoms could also be quite severe.
One of these is Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children or MIS-C, which may result in complications that require intensive care or long-lasting symptoms; and while MIS-C is not common, the risk is greatest among six to twelve-year-olds.
2. Vaccination can help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community
Most reported cases of hospitalizations and deaths are occurring among unvaccinated people.
There are more than 50 000 unvaccinated children aged 5 to 11 in Halton alone. For a recent 30-day period in Halton, the risk of getting COVID-19 was seven times higher among unvaccinated residents compared to fully vaccinated residents; and the risk of becoming a hospitalized COVID-19 case was 24 times higher.
Vaccination can help prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Like adults, if children become infected, they can transmit covid19 to others even when they have no symptoms.
Each child who gets vaccinated helps protect peers at school or at activities outside of school along with their siblings, parents, grandparents and others who may be at greater risk of severe disease.
3. Vaccination can help stop other variants from emerging
With the delta variant circulating within our community, COVID-19 cases are more likely to be among the unvaccinated population, such as our children. In fact, Canadians under the age of 12 now account for the highest number of new COVID-19 infections.
Reducing viral transmission through vaccination reduces the chance of the virus developing new variants that may be more severe or more easily spread from person to person.
4. Vaccination can help us get back to regular life
Fully vaccinated people have different isolation rules. If your school-age child is fully vaccinated, the likelihood that your child needs to self-isolate at home due to COVID-19 infection is less.
I know children missing school has been very hard for families to juggle. Not needing to stay home to self-isolate helps simplify day-to-day life.
It may also offer more flexibility in travelling outside of Canada. A vaccinated traveller is exempt from quarantine and is not required to self-isolate on return to Canada, which means your child does not have to miss an additional two weeks of school or extracurricular activities.
Reduced covet-19 spread in our community means we can all go back to participating in family activities, gatherings and events more safely.
5. Vaccination can help our kids feel better
Living through a pandemic has not been easy for any of us, but in many ways, it has been hardest on our children.
The pandemic has had an impact on our children's friendships and family connections.
The pandemic has disrupted school camps and activities outside of school. There have been shifts between being in-person with masks attending school and other programs online or event cancellations.
The unpredictability has been stressful for children. It has affected their mental, social and emotional health.
Vaccination can provide a sense of control, a way for children to see themselves as part of the solution on the path to recovery.
COVID-19 vaccines represent hope and a way out of the pandemic for all of us, including our children. By getting yourself and your children vaccinated, you're not only protecting your family, but you are also helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.
You can learn more about vaccines, the approval process, how they defer for children and how to get your children vaccinated at halton.ca - COVID vaccines for kids.