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By Chris Brown (CHAT News Today) and Josh Hall (rdnewsNOW)

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Alberta opening COVID-19 vaccine appointments to children under 5 starting Aug. 2

Jul 29, 2022 | 4:11 PM

Parents and guardians can book appointments starting on Aug. 2 for children six months to five years old to get their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine administration will begin on the same day.

“While most children are not at high risk of severe outcomes, children under five have higher risks than those age five to 11,” says chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw in a release. “I encourage parents and guardians to speak to a trusted health-care provider for questions about their child’s health, including questions about COVID-19 and immunization.”

Alberta is the final province to open appointments for the COVID vaccine for children under five.

First-dose appointments must be booked through the Alberta Vaccine Booking System at bookvaccine.alberta.ca or by calling Health Link at 811.

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This vaccine will be administered at Alberta Health Services clinics around the province. AHS will administer all of the doses for this age group, as pharmacists can only provide immunization for those five years of age and older.

Children under the age of five who live on a First Nations reserve can access doses through nursing stations or public health clinics on-reserve.

A primary series of two doses with an interval of at least eight weeks between the first and second dose, or a primary series of three doses if they are moderately to severely immunocompromised with an interval of four to eight weeks between each dose, is recommended for children six months to 11 years old.

The Moderna vaccine for children aged six months to five years was approved by Health Canada on July 14. It’s been in use in the United States since June 18, with no safety signals identified to date.

On Thursday, the Opposition NDP called the wait for Albertan families compared to others across the country, “unacceptable.”

“The UCP promised a plan to offer these vaccines weeks ago but is apparently now too bogged down in their own internal drama to support parents seeking this vital protection before school resumes in September,” said Sarah Hoffman, Education Critic. “I believe it is critical that we boost immunity of students before classes resume.”