Vaccines available for children 6 months to 4 years old starting Monday

Vaccines available for children 6 months to 4 years old starting Monday

This week Quebec’s Ministry of Health announced that the immunization committee (CIQ) of l’Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) had approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for young children between 6 months and 4 years old. The roll-out will begin Monday July 25 and parents can now make appointments on the online Clic Santé portal.

The move follows Health Canada’s decision last week to authorize the vaccine for young children. For children aged five years, the CIQ preferably recommends the administration of the Comirnaty vaccine from Pfizer (10 µg).

“In a new opinion, the CIQ confirms that the Spikevax vaccine with a reduced dosage of 25 µg generated a good immune response in children after two doses,” the ministry wrote in a press release (translated). “For a healthy child who has had COVID-19 in the past, a single dose may be sufficient. An extended interval of eight weeks or more is recommended between the two doses. For immunocompromised children in the same age group, the CIQ recommends three doses, using a minimum interval of four weeks between each dose.”

The statement also notes that children in the 6 months to 4 years age group are just as likely to develop COVID-19 as adults if exposed to the virus, but they are four to five times more at risk of being hospitalized than young people aged 5 to 17 who are not adequately vaccinated.