Earlier on November 19, 2021, Health Canada approved the pediatric Pfizer vaccine for use in children ages five to 11 and clinical guidance was provided by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
Manitoba is expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include children in this age group.
Parents and caregivers will be able to book appointments for children ages five to 11 no sooner than Monday, Nov. 22 at 6 a.m., either online or through the vaccine call centre at (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).
Times for appointments specific to COVID-19 vaccines for children ages five to 11 are still being finalized and will depend on the delivery of the pediatric vaccine in the province. However, the first appointments are expected to be available as early as the end of next week.
The province is aware that some individuals have tried to pre-book appointments next week in anticipation of the vaccine being available. There will be a separate booking option for children aged 5 to 11 and any appointments made before the call centre opens on Monday morning are not valid and those individuals will be turned away from the clinic.
Parents and caregivers who need to book two or more appointments for their children can use either option, but the phone line is recommended as the best way to access multiple appointments at the same time and as close together as possible.
NACI recommends children receive their COVID-19 vaccine two weeks before or after any other vaccines they may receive to better monitor for any side effects. Manitoba recommendations are consistent with NACI on this, but children who have received a different vaccine within the last 14 days will not be turned away.
To be eligible, children must be five at the time the appointment is booked. There are approximately 125,000 children in Manitoba in this age group.
The vaccine will be offered through regional vaccine clinics, physicians’ offices, pharmacies, urban Indigenous clinics and pop-up community clinics.
For more information, visit protectmb.ca.
