As the majority of schools across Canada welcome students back to classrooms with minimal COVID-19 restrictions this year, parents are being advised not to let their guard down when it comes to protecting children’s health.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said cases of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and the flu are likely to increase again in the fall season as more people flock indoors again. As students prepare to return to classes, Dr. Tam says it’s important to create a sense of normalcy in children, even though the pandemic is not over.
“We want as little disruption as possible to make things as normal as before, but the pandemic is still with us,” Dr. Tam told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday.
While some schools in Canada still offer distance learning as an option, the majority are focusing on a return to classroom learning. At the same time, most schools have loosened their COVID-19 restrictions, including removing the requirement to wear a face mask.
With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available for children as young as six months of age, Dr. Tam says vaccination is the first layer of recommended protection, especially for those who have not yet received a dose. According to Health Canada, 42 per cent of children aged 5 to 11 have received two doses of the vaccine, a rate that is significantly lower than older groups.
Dr. Tam says one of the two main concerns he hears from parents who may be hesitant to vaccinate their young children is the fear of giving their children too many vaccines.
Initially, it was recommended to leave intervals between several vaccinations to monitor the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Tam says that in most cases there is no problem with getting different vaccines in the same time frame.
“Children do receive a range of vaccinations in the first years of life and up to four to six years of age, but generally they are well distributed; but the COVID vaccines can be given at the same time when needed, depending on your age,” she said.
Now more than ever, Dr. Tam says it’s important to keep kids informed about their vaccines, given the recent reports of a meningitis outbreak.
Parents may also find the COVID-19 vaccine unnecessary, says Dr. Tam, because most cases involving children show signs of mild illness. Although it’s rare for children to end up in the hospital or intensive care unit, the vaccine can help further reduce the risk, she says.
Also, face masks should not be discarded completely if some children feel more comfortable using them; especially those with pre-existing health problems.
“I think in a classroom we have to respect the fact that there are different student populations. Some children may have underlying medical conditions; they may want to wear masks just to add a layer of protection, and others may want to wear masks just to protect each other,” she said.
UPDATE OF VARIANT-BASED VACCINES
With the announcement that the federal government is purchasing millions of doses of Omicron-specific boosters from Pfizer and Moderna, Dr. Tam says Canadians can expect to hear further updates on this very soon.
The booster, which includes both the original strain and the Omicron strain, is designed to provide additional protection against emerging variants of COVID-19 and boost immunity in those who have already received two doses.
According to Dr. Tam, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is also considering giving these boosters to adolescents and children.
“I think we should expect Health Canada to finish their review very soon and we have enough supplies,” she said.
“These vaccinations were originally targeted at adults, but I think our National Immunization Advisory Committee is also looking at giving these boosters to adolescents or children.”
Over the summer, Dr. Tam said the activity of the virus was higher than expected mainly because of the increasing cases and hospitalizations caused by Omicron and its BA subvariant. 5.
“It’s not falling quickly, so we’re still monitoring it. Hopefully it will taper off even before the activity picks up in the fall,” she said.
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