Advertisement

How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for children 6 months to 5 years of age in Canada

Last week, Health Canada authorized the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to five years of age.

This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use for this age group in Canada.

Provinces across the country have started to unveil their plans for administering the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks.

Here is how to book a COVID-19 vaccine in Canada for children between the ages of six months and five years old:

Ontario

Beginning Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 a.m., parents and caregivers of children age six months to under five will be able to book appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario.

Appointments will be available through the COVID-19 vaccination portal and the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre, directly through public health units, participating primary care providers and paediatricians, as well as at participating pharmacies and Indigenous-led vaccination clinics.

British Columbia

Regional health authorities in B.C. will begin offering a COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to under years of age beginning Aug. 2.

These vaccines will be available through child-friendly clinics.

Parents or guardians of children in this age group can currently register them in the provincial Get Vaccinated system and will then will be invited to book a vaccination at a clinic in their local community in August.

For children who are not yet six months of age, the provincial government is advising parents and guardians to still register their child to get an invitation to book a vaccination appointment once the child is six months old.

Quebec

Quebec parents can book an appointment for their children to receive the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine online, with vaccines being administered starting Monday. Parents can also call Service Québec at 1 877 644-4545 (toll-free) for phone assistance with booking an appointment.

Manitoba

Manitoba's initial shipment of 14,900 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages six months to four years old will be prioritized for kids who fall into the following categories:

  • Have certain medical conditions including

    • Chronic lung disease

    • Airway abnormalities

    • Congenital or chronic heart or circulatory diseases

    • Moderately to severely immunocompromised due to a medical condition or treatment

    • Neurologic disorders (including developmental delay)

    • Diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or any chronic disease related to premature birth

  • Are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, regardless of where they live

Parents and caregivers of eligible children can book appointments beginning on Monday, July 25 at 8:00 a.m., using the online vaccine finder or through the vaccine call centre at (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).

Eligibility is expected to expand in late July or early August.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's first delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of five, starting at six months old, is about 13,000 doses, with initial appointments open to children who are moderate or severely immunocompromised.

Appointment bookings became available on Thursday. Eligible immunocompromised children can only book appointments by calling 1-833-Sask-VAX (1-833-727-5829). If there are other children between the ages of six months and five years old in the same household, appointments for all those children can be booked at the time as well.

Beginning Friday, July 22, all other children in that age group can book an appointment online at saskatchewan.ca/COVID19-vaccine, starting at 8:00 a.m., or by calling 1-833-Sask-VAX (1-833-727-5829) at 8:45am.

Nova Scotia

Children aged six months to four years old in Nova Scotia are expected to be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in early August.

Appointment will be able to be booked online at https://novascotia.ca/vaccination or by calling 1-833-797-7772. Vaccine scheduling by phone is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.