Scotiabank Arena to host mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic for young kids Dec. 12
Scotiabank Arena to host mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic for young kids Dec. 12
The province announced Sunday afternoon it will offer free COVID-19 vaccines to kids in the coming weeks.
The announcement was made at a news conference held at the province’s office in Ottawa.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect our kids,” said Dr. Wade Noonan, who is responsible for the province’s COVID-19 strategy.
The province said about 500,000 kids are now in daycares across the province and another 1,000 are in long-term care homes where children are being offered vaccines at no cost as a precaution.
“At this time in the province, kids should be seen as a critical link to preventing families from losing income as a result of COVID-19,” Noonan said.
“We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that kids stay in school and that parents have access to education and health care right up until the end of the pandemic.”
The announcement came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited a Hamilton elementary in his hometown of Kitchener. He was also in Ottawa for a cabinet meeting with other premiers.
The announcement comes after an outbreak of the virus has killed more than 1,100 people in Canada.
Ontario has become the first province in Canada to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to kids.
“As a child, we are reminded that our province has been the first in Canada to take this important step in offering essential vaccines that can help protect kids,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement Sunday.
“I’m pleased the federal government has also offered this essential vaccine in an effort to get more kids and their families ready for this virus.”
Ford is scheduled to tour a Hamilton elementary school Monday with federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay as part of the prime minister’s trip to help children and young people.
Two days later, Dr. Tom Warkentin will visit a Kitchener elementary school.
The provincial government said
