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Public Health COVID vaccines for children booked solid through first week in Guelph

WDG Public Health received 17,100 doses of the vaccine for children
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COVID vaccine appointments for children aged five to 11 are booked solid for the next week at the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health clinic running in Stone Road Mall.

Currently, this is the only clinic run by WDG Public Health in Guelph, with the online booking appointment system showing on Wednesday afternoon the earliest bookable appointment was for Dec. 8.

With inoculations beginning on Thursday, the booking system shows select dates in December are also fully booked.

Parents can, however, still make appointments and talk to their primary care provider or make appointments with participating pharmacies.

“I am thrilled and encouraged by the response from parents and caregivers to the opening of vaccines for children ages five to 11,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Officer of Health and CEO of WDG Public Health in an email. “It isn’t a surprise to me that so many people have made the excellent decision to vaccinate their children. Throughout the pandemic people all over the region have, time and time again, done their part to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community. As we see continue to see these appointments fill up, we are taking another major step toward ending this pandemic.”

Public Health received 17,100 initial doses of the pediatric vaccine.

The region has roughly 23,000 children, of which roughly 10,500 live in Guelph.

“While I strongly encourage vaccinations for all children ages 5 to 11, I know parents and caregivers want to make sure they are confident in the health decisions they make for their children,” said Mercer. “Please speak with your primary care provider or access the information available through Public Health or other trusted sources. We know these vaccines are safe and protect your child from getting COVID. We know that the benefits to vaccinating our children far outweigh the risk, but we also want people to feel like they have the right information and are well supported in making this choice.”

The site in the mall is a collaboration between the Guelph Family Health Team and Public Health which will be offering a vaccination clinic starting on Thursday and running until Dec. 16.

“We didn’t know what to expect in some ways,” said Ross Kirkconnell, executive director of the Guelph Family Health Team. “We knew that in the Guelph area our vaccination rates are pretty high as we have all seen. So, for the over 12 population we have done really well, so I’m not surprised to see Guelph is quick off the mark.”

“It’s a little bit not surprising to see people have booked up quickly. We’re, at the Guelph Family Health Team, have a  pretty heavy workforce on for a full month and we figure it’ll take us a chunk of time to inoculate all the kids we want to.”

Kirkconnell said the Guelph Family Health Team is actively trying to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for children, going so far as to offer loot bags after their inoculation.

Appointments can be booked by visiting here.


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Daniel Caudle

About the Author: Daniel Caudle

Daniel Caudle is a journalist who covers Guelph and area
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