Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph to start vaccinating kids against COVID-19 Thursday

The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health unit area will start delivering COVID-19 shots to kids starting Thursday.

But, the vaccine rollout for children will look different than it did for adults.

“We locally wanted it to be very much based on the primary care system, because most children five to 11, if they need a shot, get it from their doctor's office,” Dr. Nicola Mercer, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health's top doctor said.

She said a smaller number might go to a pharmacy to get the vaccine, but doses will also be administered in clinics catered to children.

Dr. Mercer explained health officials wanted to focus on the what the experience is like for children.

“That's why we didn't set up really big mass immunization clinics,” she said. “It's really important, for example, that children maybe not see other children being vaccinated as much as possible.”

She also recommended parents look into the CARD system to learn how to make the vaccination experience easier.

Dr. Mercer said that it's important for children to get vaccinated, even though they aren't hospitalized from COVID-19 at the same rate as adults.

“It does impact their overall health,” she explained. “Because not only are they getting COVID, which the long-term implications aren't known, but they're having to stay away from school, from social interactions, and that's not good for our children.”

The public health unit has received 17,100 pediatric doses of Pfizer.

Parents living in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph can make vaccine appointments by contacting their child's primary care provider or through the health unit's website. .