Vaccination against COVID-19 in children between the ages of 5 and 11 in Canada began on Wednesday, synchronizing its pace mainly with the US and Israel, lowering the age limit of the immunization campaign to control the new coronavirus pandemic.
At a convention center in downtown Montreal, a few dozen young Quebec residents were the first in this age range in the province to receive the Pfizer / BioNTech formulation, which was approved for children on Friday.
Some changes were planned for their reception: stickers with unicorns or hockey players were stuck in the dividers, the appointments are expected to last longer, while a dog receptive to caresses circulates in the corridors to relax the children.
“I was not really scared, but I was anxious,” said ten-year-old Victor, holding a tightly colored certificate with the words “Well done, you got your vaccine.”
His mother, Matilda, explained that the boy had so far felt “excluded”: he was the only member of the family who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 until yesterday.
She added that the vaccination of her son was logical, so that “we can all be together” and so that “she can hug her grandparents” without fear.
“Honestly, we are privileged,” said Gianouska Lambrous, a doctor and mother of two children who were vaccinated. “We were lucky that the children did not get stuck until today and the opportunity to be immunized did not need a second thought for us.”
Vaccination appointments for children who are closing have taken off after their administration has been approved, a sign that “the public response is truly excellent,” a Montreal health official said.
Through Twitter, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Lego, did not hide his satisfaction yesterday morning, noting that “115,300 appointments” were closed in a few hours: “together we can make a difference”, he wrote.
In neighboring Ontario, some children were vaccinated as early as Tuesday, although Canada’s most populous province officially begins immunizing the 5-11 age group today, Thursday.
Canada tops the world rankings for COVID-19 vaccination. More than 85% of residents over the age of 12 have taken at least two doses.
Also yesterday, the administration of the single dose vaccine of Johnson & Johnson for the residents over 18 years of age was approved.
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