Following Health Canada’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age, Newfoundland and Labrador will now initiate Newfoundland and Labrador’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan for children 5 to 11 years of age. It is anticipated vaccines will arrive in the province by November 26, 2021.

Appointments are now available through the COVID-19 vaccine booking website. If an appointment is not available in your area at this time, please continue to monitor the COVID-19 vaccine booking site. Vaccines will also be offered in schools. Further details will be available through your child’s school in the coming days. Vaccines will be available in a variety of settings to give families options for what works best for their situation. Availability will be led by Regional Health Authorities in schools and in mass vaccination clinics throughout the province.

A paediatric COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty has been approved by Health Canada. Any vaccines used in Canada must be approved by Health Canada through its rigorous regulatory process and are safe. The same review process is applied to all vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines will only be used in Newfoundland and Labrador if they are approved by Health Canada, and the evidence shows that they are safe, effective, of good quality, and beneficial.

The goal of the plan is to reduce severe illness and death due to COVID-19 by immunizing as many children in this age group as quickly as possible. Vaccination is a means to ensure children can continue their routines of daily life and not miss out on important things such as attending school. This province has successfully vaccinated individuals 12 years of age and older. Immunizing children age 5 to 11 years is the next step in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 disease throughout our communities.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine will protect children from COVID-19 infection. Being vaccinated also helps prevent the virus from spreading to family and friends, and to people more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. High rates of vaccination coverage are key to:

• Controlling the spread of the virus;
• Protecting people from severe illness; and
• Helping everyone return to normal activities.

For further information related to COVID-19 in the province, please refer to the Provincial Government COVID-19 website.

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Avis public : Publication du Plan d’immunisation contre la COVID‑19 de Terre‑Neuve‑et‑Labrador

Media contact
Lesley Clarke
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca