Kids now turning 12 in Mississauga and Brampton can get first COVID-19 vaccine in London

Brampton | Mississauga | Ontario | COVID |

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Published August 12, 2021 at 9:53 pm

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One public health unit in Ontario will start offering COVID-19 vaccinations to any child who turns 12 before the end of the year.

On Thursday (Aug. 12), the Middlesex-London Health Unit announced any child with a 2009 birthdate is eligible to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Its statement said that it wants to “maximize protection against the emerging COVID-19 Delta variant and get as many youth vaccinated as they return to school.” There is also no geographical or residency requirement, which indicates that anyone able and willing to travel to the London, Ont., area could book an ‘old 11-year-old’ for their first dose.

Health Canada has not approved any COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12. However, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories have also said children who are just shy of 12 can begin their vaccine schedule. Global News reported on Thursday that Pfizer, which makes the only vaccine approved for youths age 12 to 17, will submit findings from trials of its vaccine in children under 12 to Health Canada by the end of the year.

Based on patterns with other public institutionsmeasures, such as vaccine requirements on post-secondary campuses, it might stand to reason that some of Ontario’s 33 other public health units might soon follow suit.

Middlesex-London says that 80 per cent of age 12 to 17 population has received a first dose and that 58 per cent have completed received their second. Here is how that compares with the age 12 to 17 age group in other public health units within InSauga’s coverage area, based on published statistics:

  • Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton) has 76.6 first-dose coverage, and 59.6 per cent have received a second dose.
  • Durham Region (Oshawa, Pickering) has reached 76.7 first-dose coverage, and 64.2 per cent for second doses.
  • Niagara Region (St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland) has reached 60.0 first-dose coverage, and 46.0 for second doses.
  • Halton Region (Burlington, Oakville) has 83.0 first-dose coverage, and 75.0 for second doses.
  • Hamilton has 70.7 first-dose average, but is at 64.7 for second doses. 

(Vaccination coverage statistics can often be temporarily skewed by residents receiving their dose outside of where they reside, as it typically takes a few days before information is shared between PHUs.)

The University of Toronto, which includes the U of T Mississauga campus, announced Wednesday that it will require anyone who intends to be on campus to self-declare their vaccination status. In the less than 24 hours since, Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, the University of Guelph and Queen’s University at Kingston have all announced similar measures.

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