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AHS waiting on vaccine doses before opening appointments for kids 5-11 years old

Nov 19, 2021 | 4:22 PM

Alberta Health Services says appointments for children aged five to 11 years old to get the Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 will be available as soon as supplies begin to arrive in the province.

Health Canada approved the vaccine for that age group on Friday.

Parents wanting to get their children immunized can pre-book online in advance of appointment availability.

Alberta plans to begin administration by late next week.

Pfizer submitted a request for approval of a child-sized dose last month.

A thorough review of the data has determined the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

The vaccine was 90.7 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19 in children and no serious side effects were identified according to Health Canada.

AHS has launched a new webpage to help parents, guardians and families make the best decision about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.