By Darren Rathwell

Alberta rolls out COVID-19 vaccine to young kids

Local residents line up for kids’ vaccine shots

Nov 26, 2021 | 5:38 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s an important day in the fight against COVID-19 in Alberta and in Medicine Hat.

For the first time, children aged 5 to 11 years old were receiving vaccine shots for the virus.

In Medicine Hat, families lined up today outside Higdon Hall on the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede grounds.

“Just enjoying that it’s finally here and the kids can get vaccinated to be honest.. we have family back east so it’s kinda the tickets to get back and see family we haven’t seen in two years,” one parent told CHAT News today.

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Another parent, a man who said he’s in the British armed forces, was also happy for a chance for more accessible travel.

“All good, get the child vaccinated. We can travel and go to restaurants a bit more..the only issue is we still can’t travel to America without doing the isolation bit when we come back.”

A woman who arrived with two children said she had other reasons she was happy to have her sons vaccinated.

“It’s nice to help out the world and the community,” she said. And when asked if having her children vaccinated was weighing on her mind, she replied, “Oh yeah.. not so much with them getting sick but them passing it to someone who could die from COVID right.”

Children between five and 11 years old are still subject to Alberta’s Restrictions Exemption program.

Alberta Health Services says a total of 71 per cent of Alberta’s population has received both doses.