COVID-19 vaccine bookings for babies and toddlers open in Ontario
Ontario parents expressed excitement and relief Thursday as the province opened COVID-19 vaccine bookings for babies and preschoolers, with shots for some set to be administered later in the day.
Appointments for children aged six months to under five years were available through the province's online booking portal, public health units using their own booking systems, certain pharmacies and some primary care providers.
Sapphire Miller was able to snag appointments for her two sons, aged 15 months and four years old, for Thursday afternoon.
She wasn't able to set up the appointments back-to-back -- the only available options were several hours apart at a clinic about 15 minutes away from her London, Ont., home -- but Miller said she was happy and relieved nonetheless.
"This has been a long time coming," she said in an interview. "I'm very happy to give kids some extra protection."
Shawna Rothgeb-Bird of Ottawa said she also saw some open appointments for Thursday when she checked online early in the morning, but she opted for a Saturday booking for her four-year-old son to give him more time to prepare for the shot.
It's a "big relief" to know her son Jasper, who has asthma, will have extra protection against the virus by the time school starts in September, Rothgeb-Bird said.
"He's probably the most high-risk of everybody in this house ... so it was a nice feeling to be able to book his appointment," she said, noting Jasper had asked his parents when he would be able to get his vaccine after they got their fourth doses this week.
Others who booked appointments through the online provincial portal on Thursday morning reported a relatively quick and painless experience, much different from long queues and technical issues seen during earlier vaccine rollouts.
Toronto mom Isabelle Duchaine said she was happy to have appointments set for Friday for her two toddlers -- aged 16 months and two-and-a-half -- after a "seamless" experience on the online site shortly after eligibility opened.
"Our plan is to pick them up from daycare, drive over and then celebrate at McDonald's," she said.
Robyn Sharpe managed to log on at 7:30 a.m. when she saw social media posts indicating the booking portal had opened a bit early. She scheduled a vaccine appointment for her 16-month-old daughter for next week, though the closest available clinic was in Toronto, about a 30-minute drive from her home in Brampton, Ont.
Sharpe said she had mixed emotions about the milestone because she's concerned that the vaccines are no longer targeting the dominant strain of COVID-19.
"It just kind of feels like the only thing we can do, so we're going to go ahead and do it, but I wish I was much more excited," she said by phone.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Public health units units covering Toronto, Hastings and Prince Edward counties and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark were advertising clinics offering shots as of Thursday and some pharmacies were in position to start vaccinating, too.
The immunization effort for the youngest age group is expected to ramp up across the province in the coming days.
Health Canada approved Moderna's pediatric shot this month and Ontario's health minister says the vaccine is safe, effective and will help protect children from the virus.
Immunocompromised youth aged 12 to 17 were also able to schedule second booster doses starting Thursday if six months had passed since their first booster dose.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
There's a limit to how much interest rates in Canada and U.S. can diverge: Macklem
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canadian interest rates don't have to match U.S. or global rates, but there is a limit to how much they can diverge.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Should I invest with a human or a robot? Traditional firms vs. robo-advisors
Investors considering where to park their money have a choice: go with a traditional financial adviser or trust in an algorithm. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Imagine living in a 4-foot body that doesn't develop chronic diseases
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.