Peterborough Public Health is hosting kid-friendly immunization clinics for children aged five to 11 on the January 8th weekend and is encouraging families to get their children vaccinated.
First and second doses are available at the two clinics, which take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (January 8 and 9) at the Healthy Planet Arena at 911 Monaghan Road in Peterborough.
Appointments can be booked online at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by phone at 1-833-943-3900.
According to the health unit, 55 per cent of children aged five to 11 in the Peterborough area have yet to receive a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.
“I urge families to get their children vaccinated as quickly as possible to protect them and help in the community-wide effort to slow the spread of omicron,” says medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott in a media release announcing the clinics.
“We are pulling out all the stops to make vaccinations as accessible as we can, and there are currently 3,200 appointments available for those aged five to 11, including over 1,000 this weekend alone.”
Only children who are five to 11 years old at the time of their appointment, based on their date of birth, are eligible to receive a paediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
While the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that children receive their second dose eight weeks after their first dose, parents and guardians who consent can get a second dose for their child only three weeks (21 days) after the first dose.
Parents must call 1-833-943-3900 and provide informed consent to make an appointment for an accelerated second dose; accelerated appointments cannot be booked online.
Peterborough Public Health says it will be adding more clinics for children aged five to 11 over the coming weeks, and reminds parents it takes two weeks after the second dose for full immunity.
