Nova Scotia opens COVID-19 vaccine bookings to ages 5-11

Nova Scotia has opened COVID-19 vaccine bookings for children aged five to 11.

Appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinewere available through the province's vaccine booking website as of Friday morning.

Appointments for the vaccine must be madeonlineor by phone at 1-833-797-7772.

Children between the ages of five and 11 in Nova Scotia will be able to start getting vaccinated for COVID-19on Dec. 2.

Bookings will be opened to the entire new age group all at once a population of about 65,000.

Vaccine administered at pharmacies, IWK

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia'schief medical officer of health, said at a Wednesday briefing thatthe first shipments of the vaccine for kids will be delivered to the province this week.

Health Canada approvedPfizer-BioNTech'svaccinefor kids five to 11 on Nov. 19. The province has previously announced that vaccines for childrenwill be delivered through pharmacies. The IWK Health Centre will also administer the shots.

Strang said Nova Scotia has the capacity to administer first doses to all kids aged five to 11 who want them before Christmas.

'Make the COVID-19 vaccine a priority'

Children aged five to 11 will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose. Strang said a minimum of eight weeks between doses is recommended.

If a child turns 12 between the first and second doses, the second dose will be theadult dose, Strang said.

He said children under 12 should not receive other vaccinations at the same time as the COVID-19 shot, but rather should leave 14 days between the COVID-19 vaccine and a different shot.

"If you do have to make a choice, make the COVID-19 vaccine a priority," Strang said.

Those 12 and older can receive a COVID-19 dose at the same time as another vaccine.

Vaccine could be approved for babies, toddlers in new year

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said Thursday thatCOVID-19 vaccines for babies and toddlers could be approved early in the new year, depending on how clinical trials play out.

Pfizer-BioNTech is running clinical trials for those aged six months to just under five years. Modernais waiting for Health Canada approvalonits COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six to 11, and isalso in themidst of recruiting younger children for a clinical trial.

"I can't tell you exactly when those results will be available,"Tam said of the trials."It depends on how many people they recruit and how fast the trials go. But I think all of that is well underway."

The dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5-11 is one-third of the adult dose.