What we know about kids and COVID-19 vaccines
CBC
It's normal for parents of school-aged kids to have questions about the prospect of COVID-19 vaccines becoming available to protect younger Canadians, according to pediatricians who say showing compassion with vaccine hesitancy could go a long way.
Health Canada said it expects to receive Pfizer-BioNtech's formal filing for authorization of its vaccine for children aged five to 11 this week.
Daniel Flanders, a pediatrician in Toronto, is already fielding calls from parents who want their children to be first in line for the immunizations, as well as parents who are more cautious.
"There's a spirit nowadays in the media and in doctors' offices where, you know, parents feel like if they even for a moment feel skeptical they're going to be shunned," Flanders told Dr. Brian Goldman on The Dose podcast. "I agree we need to push to get everyone vaccinated, but I think we need to be a little bit more compassionate and understanding."
When COVID-19 vaccines rolled out to adults and teens worldwide, people generally became more comfortable as the safety data accumulated, Flanders said. He suspects the same will happen if Health Canada approves the vaccines to protect younger kids.
Flanders said he has "all the time in the world" to talk to parents and patients who are eager to learn more to make an informed decision about COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Pfizer vaccine, which is already authorized in those 12 and up, has been shown to lead to a strong immune response in school-aged kids, based on a clinical trial of more than 2,200 participants, the companies said last month in a press release.
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