Dad and mom in Alberta trying to get their kids extra safety within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have extra choices beginning Thursday.
In a social media thread On Wednesday, Dr. Mark Joffe, chief medical officer of well being introduced that the Pfizer bivalent mRNA vaccine booster – efficient in opposition to the wild sort and BA.4/BA.5 subvariants – can be accessible for youngsters aged 5 to 11 years. The Novavax protein-based vaccine can be accessible for a major collection or as a booster for youth aged 12 to 17 years.
Each pictures can be accessible at AHS public well being clinics by calling Well being Hyperlink at 811 or on-line. Because of restricted portions of Novavax, the protein-based pediatric vaccination can be accessible at choose AHS clinics and never at pharmacies or group medical clinics.
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Dr. Sam Wong, president of the Alberta Medical Affiliation’s pediatrics part, mentioned the Pfizer bivalent doses have been notably efficient, however he was not well-read on the Novavax outcomes.
“The Pfizer bivalent numbers look good, even with the brand new variants popping out,” Wong mentioned. “It is inferior to it was in opposition to the wild sort (of COVID-19), nevertheless it’s undoubtedly nonetheless higher than not having it.”
The distribution of the Pfizer bivalent doses comes almost a month after Well being Canada permitted the bivalent booster for youngsters 5 to 11 years previous on December 9, 2022.
On December 7, 2022, Novavax introduced that it had acquired federal approval to be used in adolescents after additionally being permitted to be used in america, the UK, and the European Union.
The COVID vaccination price for Alberta kids lags behind the pack nationally.
In accordance with the newest federal figures, solely 36.3 per cent of Albertans aged 5 to 11 and solely 78.4 per cent of youngsters 12 to 17 acquired a two-dose major collection. Nationally, these figures are respectively 41.3 and 80.4 p.c.
Booster doses in Alberta had even much less uptake. Of youngsters aged 5 to 11, 4.3 per cent had a 3rd dose, together with 15.8 per cent of youngsters aged 12 to 17. Throughout Canada, these numbers rise to six.2 per cent and 18.4 respectively p.c.
Specialists say vaccination in opposition to COVID-19 is best in stopping critical sickness and hospitalization, along with lowering transmission of the virus.
Wong mentioned hospitals have been below extraordinary stress in late 2022 and plenty of well being care staff have been burned out after years of being known as in for extra time.
“We hope that folks will take easy public well being measures, corresponding to masking in public or if they’re sick, to not exit. In the event that they should exit to masks, (and) attempt to cut back the variety of social interactions if doable ,” the pediatrician mentioned.
“We wish to attempt to guarantee that the system is there for individuals who do get sick, for his or her kids who do get sick, and that we will present high quality healthcare to these kids.”
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