Prep underway in Waterloo region to begin vaccinating children 5 to 11 against COVID-19

In the coming weeks, Waterloo region will begin planning for a vaccination rollout aimed at children aged five to 11, ahead of an anticipated Health Canada approval of a COVID-19 vaccine expected to come this fall or winter.

In a release sent out Tuesday, the region said the goal is to administer the shots as quickly as possible once the approval is given.

In the coming weeks, the region will be collaborating with school boards, doctors and pharmacists, as well as prepping information sessions for parents to help them plan for "their child's positive vaccination experience," the release said.

"Once a child's dose of the vaccine is available, it will be offered at doctors' offices, pharmacies and regional vaccination clinics. Planning is also underway for possible drive-thru clinics and mobile clinics in many urban and rural neighbourhoods across Waterloo region."

Children born after 2009 are currently not eligible to receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada.

Ontario health units are responsible for administering COVID-19 shots with guidance from the provincial government.

'We can be proactive'

Vickie Murray, the region's vaccine lead, said during a media briefing on Friday that health officials will be able to plan ahead to find the best way to get vaccines into arms to a very large group of people when the COVID-19 vaccine is approved for children.

"This is perhaps the first time in the vaccine rollout where we can be a bit proactive knowing that something is coming and we want to take advantage of that," she said.

"My goal is to have that have that plan in a nice little parcel, so that when we do get that approval that we're able to move quite quickly on it because I know that this vaccination for this group is top of mind for everyone."

She said they're also working on resources for families so they can start thinking about preparing their children for the vaccine.

4 outbreaks in schools

On Tuesday, Region of Waterloo Public Health reported there were four outbreaks in schools:

• Glencairn Public School in Kitchener with six cases over multiple cohorts.
• Tait Street Public School in Cambridge with two cases.
• Westvale Public School in Waterloo with three cases.
• St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School in Ayr with two cases.

An outbreak is declared when there are at least two cases and it's believed one student passed the virus on to another student. On Friday during a media briefing, the region's medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said the spread of COVID-19 often isn't in the classroom setting.

"What we're seeing is, for the most part, a reflection of the community transmission that continues to happen," Wang said, noting during case and contact management, they find "these were infections that were acquired outside of the school setting."

Wang also noted the region has more than 200 schools.

"The outbreaks at this point remain small, they're usually limited to a couple of cases," she said.

"That's also a sign that the measures that the school boards and the students themselves are putting in place and practicing are having an effect at controlling spread in the school environment."

The region reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday.