Toronto preparing to vaccinate kids ages five and up for COVID-19 when the time comes
Toronto Public Health (TPH) announced Monday that it is getting ready to vaccinate children ages five and up.
The agency has formed a “COVID-19 Vaccination Planning Group,” which includes health partners, school boards, community representatives and The Ministry of Health, in order to get ready for the rollout.
Last week, Pfizer released preliminary information from a second phase trial of their COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11.
The Pfizer release stated, "in participants five to 11 years of age, the vaccine was safe, well-tolerated and showed robust neutralizing antibody responses."
On Monday morning, Health Minister Christine Elliott told reporters that the province is awaiting finalization on whether the Pfizer vaccine can be administered to children.
“We're going to take a look at anything that is going to protect people, including young people,” Elliott said,
“We know that the take-up of 12 to 17-year-olds has been very good with respect to receiving the vaccines. Now we're waiting for finalization on whether the Pfizer vaccine ... can be used for children aged five to 11.”
Speaking at Toronto's Board of Health meeting Monday, the city's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said TPH is trying “to make sure that [they're] ready whenever Health Canada has made their assessment and has provided appropriate approvals for the vaccine."
She says they will be ready to administer the vaccines as early as Nov. 1.
Since students returned to the classroom in early September, transmission of the virus at school has been a top concern.
As of Friday, there were 1,372 known active COVID-19 cases in schools in the province, affecting 750 of Ontario’s 4,844 publicly-funded schools.
On Monday, a school in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board announced its closure after at least 11 cases have been tied to an outbreak at Monsignor Leo Clearly Catholic Elementary School.
According to TPH, there are approximately 200,000 children aged five to 11 in the city that would be eligible to get vaccinated.
City of Toronto data shows that 85 per cent of eligible Toronto residents have initiated the vaccine process, while 80 per cent have completed it.
With files from CP24's Codi Wilson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.