Sask. parents can book COVID vaccine appointments for kids 5 to 11 starting Tuesday
CBC
Saskatchewan parents can book an online COVID-19 vaccine appointment for children aged five to 11 starting Tuesday at 8 a.m. CST.
On Monday, the Saskatchewan government released details about how it will vaccinate the approximately 115,000 children in that age group.
The government said its goal is to reduce serious illness and death with its pediatric vaccination campaign. Children under 12 account for the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The province's first shipment of pediatric vaccines is arriving Tuesday and Wednesday. The province said it expects vaccinations to begin Wednesday.
By the end of the week, the province should have more than 112,000 doses, which is nearly enough for the approximate 115,000 children aged five to 11 in the province.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said COVID-19 vaccines for children will be available in 221 clinics in 141 communities and more than 100 schools.
Parents and students will receive information on in-school clinics directly.
Vaccinations will also be available from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) and participating pharmacies.
The Saskatchewan government website will have more updated information on locations of participating pharmacies when they receive their supply.
Health Canada authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for children five to 11 on Friday.
Canada's first delivery of the vaccine for children landed in Hamilton, Ont., on Sunday, with 2.9 million set to be delivered by the end of the week.
Alberta is already allowing parents and guardians to pre-register online for a vaccination for children aged five to 11, and it says administration of shots will start late this week provided the doses arrive as expected.
Manitoba announced Friday that parents will be able to begin booking online or by phone "no sooner than" Monday morning at 6 a.m, and that appointments are expected to be available as early as the end of this week depending on when the first shipments arrive.