Vaccinations in Ontario’s 12-year-olds still lag, suggesting a bumpy road ahead to get shots into even younger arms

There have been big gains recently in the percentage of Ontario 12-year-olds fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but this cohort still lags behind older age groups and remains far below the provincial average.

Children born in 2009 have double-dose rates of 68 per cent - the lowest among all Ontario youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17 - despite a significant increase in vaccinations in that age group since mid-August, according to new Ministry of Health data provided to the Star.

This most recent snapshot comes at a time when public health units are preparing to expand vaccine coverage to even younger kids, with Health Canada approval for five-to-11-year-olds expected this month, suggesting that getting jabs into little arms may be an uphill battle.

The Hospital for Sick Children's Dr. Julia Orkin, who works with the hospital's vaccine hotline, where parents can call and get questions answered by health-care professionals, said the lower vaccination rate in children born in 2009 signals an education information gap." She said it underscores the importance of getting out reliable facts to parents and kids, whether through hospitals, schools or public health agencies.

If you don't know where to go to for those reputable sources of information you're going to go to what you know, and what you know may or may not be the appropriate source," Orkin said.

And for children younger than 12, the fact that they are not protected against COVID is showing up in case counts. The national incidence rate of daily cases is currently highest in that cohort, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said Friday. She noted last week that the virus is disproportionately affecting children under 12, with the age group representing more than 20 per cent of daily cases, but making up only about 12 per cent of the Canadian population.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, kids aged four to 13 have the highest COVID case rates in the city, according to Coun. Joe Cressy, chair of the board of health.

Toronto Public Health is now laying the groundwork to immunize about 200,000 kids aged five to 11; the plan includes superhero selfie stations to make the experience more fun, and starts with school-based clinics in 30 priority neighbourhoods.

Ontario kids 12 and up have been able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, now known as Comirnaty, since May, but children with later birthdays were not eligible until mid-August. The province initially received legal advice that they should not offer the vaccine to kids who hadn't turned 12 yet because Pfizer's trials did not include kids younger than that age.

Therefore, those born in 2009 have had less time to be vaccinated than the other age groups," said Ministry of Health spokesperson W.D. Lighthall in an emailed statement.

That's true for Jen Berg's son Andre, who turned 12 in October. It was a busy fall for their family, but he hoofed it" to a pop-up vaccine clinic at his middle school to be the first in line for the shot, days before his birthday.

When he came home, that little pink (COVID vaccine) sticker that they give you, he put on the front door of our apartment," said Berg. The school clinic was not only convenient, she added, but it also let him take charge of the process.

You could see it in his face, this moment of maturity."

Still, Berg has heard some hesitancy from other parents, and doesn't blame them for having questions.

Vaccinating yourself and your adult children or your grandparents is one thing. Vaccinating your children is a completely different conversation," she said. All of this vaccine stuff is ever-changing. It's confusing as heck."

Family physician Dr. Jeff Kwong says he understands where parents are coming from over concerns about possible side effects from the vaccine in children, which may explain why some are taking a wait-and-see approach."

But in medicine, and in so many things, it's all about risks versus benefits. I know that COVID is very bad and I know that these vaccines are very safe," said Kwong, who has weighed the evidence when it comes to his own family.

Personally, I plan to get my younger daughter, who's under 12, vaccinated as soon as possible. When my 13-year-old was eligible, I went right ahead and got her vaccinated."

He added that some may be hesitant or complacent because of a perception that COVID is not a serious illness for children. It is true to some extent that most kids tend to have a milder illness, but some kids can still develop complications from COVID infections, and they can get long COVID ... I think maybe there isn't enough awareness of these potential long-term complications of COVID infection."

Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle, a very rare side effect) is treatable and can be resolved within a few days, whereas with long COVID, we don't even know how long it goes on for."

The provincial data shows that while first- and second-vaccination rates for children born in 2009 (those who have turned or are turning 12 this year) have grown significantly since Aug. 17, they still lag those in older children.

For the approximately 158,000 Ontario children born in 2009, 75.4 per cent have received one dose. That compares to 84.4 per cent of children born in 2008, 88.1 per cent of children born in 2007, 87.1 per cent of children born in 2006, 85.4 per cent of children born in 2005, and 86.2 per cent of children born in 2004.

The gaps among the age groups for second doses are greater. Sixty-eight per cent of kids born in 2009 have received two doses, compared to 79.7 per cent of children born in 2008, 83.7 per cent of children born in 2007, 82.8 per cent of children born in 2006, 81.1 per cent of children born in 2005, and 81.8 per cent of children born in 2004.

Orkin said it makes sense that there is some lag time" for kids with later birthdays to get vaccinated, as they haven't been eligible for the vaccine as long as other age cohorts. About half of the over 200 calls to the Sick Kids hotline since it launched at the beginning of October were concerning kids aged 10-12, she noted.

For Berg and her son, the choice was clear.

Andre got his second shot at a local pharmacy on Friday, just as his 21-day period between doses was up. His mom says he is looking forward to going to the movies, visiting his great-grandmother in a long-term-care home, and maybe even going to a Raptors game.

He's acutely aware of how important the vaccine is," Berg said.

One more person like my son getting vaccinated is one more person helping out."

May Warren is a Toronto-based breaking news reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @maywarren11

Kenyon Wallace is a Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @KenyonWallace or reach him via email: kwallace@thestar.ca