Quebec COVID Vaccinations For Children Under 6 Are Starting July 25

Quebec children between six months and five years old can get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. Health Canada authorized a modified Moderna dosage for young children in mid-July. The age group will receive half of what is offered to children 6 to 11 years of age. It's the first COVID vaccine authorized in Canada for use in very young children.

Parents can make an appointment to get their kids vaccinated via the Clic Santé portal.

The Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec (CIQ) gave its thumbs-up for vaccinating young Quebecers, citing clinical trials that showed the immune response to the Moderna vaccine in young children was similar to that in 18 to 25 years olds.

"Children 6 months to 4 years old are as likely to develop COVID-19 as adults when exposed to SARS-CoV-2… they are four to five times more at risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 than young people aged 5 to 17 who are not adequately vaccinated," according to a recent report.

While children under six can be vaccinated with two doses of 25 micrograms each, with a four-week interval between shots, the CIQ recommends an interval of eight weeks or more between doses.

For immunocompromised children between six months and four years old, the CIQ recommends three doses of the vaccine with an interval of four weeks or more between doses.

Last week, Quebec Public Health called for continued "basic precautionary measures," like hand-washing, social distancing and mask-wearing, for residents to protect themselves from the virus during the seventh wave.

But some health experts warn that many are unlikely to follow precautions unless they are mandated.