Health Canada has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use in teenagers ages 12-15 years old, and officials in this province are preparing for how the rollout to that age group could look in this province.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says their hope is to have first shots in the arms of those who want it by the end of the school year, which is June 24th.
As for how it will look, Dr. Fitzgerald says those plans are still being hammered out and they are looking at two options: Either mass vaccination clinics or going directly into schools.
The addition of 12-15 year olds being eligible for the vaccine means a significant portion of that population that previously was not factored into the rollout plans.
Health Minister Dr. John Haggie explains that there are over 30,000 students in that category, which is approximately 1 week’s worth of Pfizer deliveries.
He says they will work on making up that difference — noting that our amounts of Pfizer deliveries have been going up and they are expecting more of that product.