Kids under 5 now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Alberta

Alberta children under the age of five began receiving COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday.

Alberta was the last province to announce its vaccine rollout plans for kids between six months old and five years old.

“Parents are in the best position to decide whether the vaccination is right for their children, and we are providing them with the information they need to help them make that choice,” Health Minister Jason Copping said on Friday.

Kids under the age of 12 remain ineligible for a first booster dose.

The government said the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine is to be administered at Alberta Health Services clinics across the province.

Children on First Nations can access doses through nursing stations or public health clinics on-reserve.

Pharmacists will not be delivering these doses, as their scope of practice is for shots for those five years and older.

An additional 234,000 more Albertans are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Higher risks for children under 5: Hinshaw

Last week Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s top doctor, encouraged parents to speak with their doctor and figure out if the vaccine is right for their kids.

“While most children are not at high risk of severe outcomes, children under five have higher risks than those aged five to 11,” she said.

Health Canada approved the Moderna vaccine for kids between six months and five years old on July 14. Americans have been inoculating that age group since mid-June.

Two weeks ago, Health Canada approved Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine for children between the ages of six months and five years old.

The Alberta government was criticized for delaying its plan to vaccinate that age group.

—With files from Saif Kaisar and The Canadian Press