Tuesday dawned with hefty news for families across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Health officials now have a plan in place for children ages five to 11 to get a special, reduced-dose Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
Here’s what you need to know.
There are two ways to do it. Parents can make an appointment at a community vaccine clinic, with slots available beginning Saturday.
They can also wait until next week when vaccines are offered in schools. It’s not clear yet, though, which schools will offer vaccines; it’s up to each regional health authority to plan that out, and they’ll have that information on their respective websites in the coming days.
Health Minister John Haggie suggested it could be larger schools or perhaps schools in smaller, rural communities that are selected as vaccine clinics.
Parents will need to sign a consent form if they choose the school vaccination option, and they’ll also get a letter from the school to notify them of possible dates.
Kids will need two doses, and shouldn’t get a shot within 14 days of another vaccine for precautionary purposes.
Health officials say they believe they’ll have enough first doses on hand to immunize children in the province in that age group.
Haggie said his department expects more shipments within the eight-week window for second doses.