Kids under five getting vaccinated outdoors in Hamilton

Some Hamilton parents are feeling an air of relief after being able to get their young ones vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kids between the ages of six months and five years old - the last group to qualify for vaccines in the province - started being eligible to receive their first doses on July 28.

These are all parents who have been waiting desperately to get their kids vaccinated," Dr. Kerry Beal, who started administering vaccines to kids in this age group Thursday, told The Spectator.

But not all parents are comfortable taking their infants and toddlers to vaccination centres due to the fear of exposure.

Because of that, Beal, who works as the lead physician with the Shelter Health Network, and Dr. Joe Oliver have started holding outdoor clinics for kids under five, offering them vaccines in open spaces.

The highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 has been increasingly spreading in Hamilton during the seventh wave.

Because of this, the latest availability of vaccines for younger kids ahead of the school year is going to be a double bonus," said Beal.

In her opinion, parents might be more comfortable taking their kids out, and the chances of infection at schools will also hopefully reduce.

Between July 28 and Aug. 2, over the long weekend, about 250 children six months to under five received their first doses at Hamilton vaccine centres, the city said. There are at least 27,000 children in this age group who are eligible for COVID-19 shots in Hamilton.

The city is currently offering about 550 appointments per week for kids six months to under five, but only 40 appointments were available at Hamilton public health-led clinics from July 28 to Aug. 1 as they were closed from Saturday to Monday.

About 900 appointments for kids five and under have been made at public health-led clinics between July 28 and Aug. 16, the city noted. This doesn't include local pharmacies or primary-care providers providing vaccines.

Beal noted she and Oliver have vaccinated about 10 to 11 kids daily since Thursday. She said she expects to see a lot of activity for the first little bit until they get their second dose." To make an appointment, send Oliver a direct message on Twitter at @joeolivermd.

Book through the city at hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine.

Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com