Vaccines for children under 12 could be only months away, says N.W.T.'s top doctor

Children five to 12 could be getting vaccinated as soon as the fall, Dr. Kami Kandola, the N.W.T.'schief public health officer, said Thursday.

Appearing onCBC's The Trailbreakerto answer audience questions, KandolasaidthatPfizer clinical trials are underway, the first of which is expected to be complete by October. Subsequenttrials for youth under five aren't expected to be complete until 2022.

Along with Kandola,John MacDonald, deputy minister with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, answered questions Thursday morning.

Miss the phone-in show? Watch it here:

As schools are set to reconvene next week, MacDonald said that mandating masks within the classroom is under consideration in addition to physicaldistancing, daily monitoring and hallway masking requirements already planned. He said that as "the situation is shifting," residents might see updates to classroom guidelines in the coming weeks and should check the territorial government's website for details.

Throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic MacDonald acknowledged that student anxiety levels have increased in the last year, but said mental health resources are in place to support them.

A number of callers asked if vaccine passports were on their way to the territory. Kandola said that the federal government is in the process of looking into a "standardized credential document" that could come into play after the fall election. N.W.T. residents planning to visit provinces that have asked incoming visitors to provide proof of vaccination can request their vaccine certificates fromthe territorial health authority.

Kandola reiterated the importance of Yellowknife residents wearing masks in public spaces and staying home if they experience any form of COVID-19 symptom regardless of vaccination status.

With community transmission now in Yellowknife and containment orders in effect in Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake and Norman Wells, Kandola emphasized the need for continued diligence to protect the unvaccinated and immunocompromised population at an increased risk in territory.