Kids 5 to 11 to be eligible for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 21

The Ontario government says children aged five to 11 will soon be eligible for the bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine.

The province says people in that age group will be able to receive a bivalent dose starting Dec. 21.

The announcement comes following Health Canada’s approval of the first Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster for children between five and 11 last week.

READ MORE: First bivalent booster for kids between 5 to 11 approved by Health Canada

Data from Public Health Ontario suggests 40 per cent of kids aged five to 11 have completed a primary series of a coronavirus vaccine.

The provincial government is encouraging children five and older to get a shot of the bivalent booster if it has been six months since their last dose, or three months for kids at high risk of critical illness from COVID-19.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says that as the weather gets colder and people gather for holidays, vaccinations are still the best protection against COVID-19 and the flu.

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