Canadian parents ‘on the edge of their seats’ waiting for COVID-19 vaccine approval for kids
Global News
Many parents are eagerly waiting for Health Canada to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for young children, though there is no definite date yet on when that will happen.
The first U.S. children under the age of 12 were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Wednesday, following approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 Tuesday evening.
And some Canadian parents don’t want to wait for authorities here to make up their minds.
University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran, a dual Canada-U.S. citizen, said he plans to take his kids south of the border to get their shots.
“What Canadians are looking at here is, if they’re lucky, a one-dose Christmas for their children, more likely a zero-dose Christmas, while American children will have two doses and be fully protected,” he said.
“That’s a safe Christmas for Americans and an unsafe one for Canadians.”
Others are eagerly waiting to hear what Health Canada says. “I’ll definitely be vaccinating my kids,” Stefanie Ventura, a mother from Montreal, told Global News.
She especially wants her seven-year-old son, Daniel, who has epilepsy and lives with autism, to get the shot. “If he were to catch COVID it would be more detrimental for his health than to get the vaccine and protect him,” she said.
She’s excited for the chance to vaccinate her kids, she said, but she also believes it’s important that the government makes sure that the vaccine is safe and the rollout is done smoothly.
