5-11 Vaccinations

[MaddyandMax]

Now with the US already vaccinating the 5-11 rate there is a lot of chatter on here of it becoming mandatory in the new year.  We have a cruise book March 13, 2022 with my 9 year old.  Obviously we will get him vaccinated but I'm concerned with the time frame.  It looks like by the end of this month we will have approval and hopefully first shots in December.  If we do delayed dosing like we did for adults when first started my son won't be fully vaccinated in the next 4 months.  I've read that we've ordered 2.9 million doses but that is not enough for first and second doses.  Have any fellow Canadians heard anything about dosing with the 5-11 year olds?

 

This will be the 5th cruise we would have to reschedule (border and mixed dose problems).  It's becoming depressing.

[Fouremco]

7 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

Now with the US already vaccinating the 5-11 rate there is a lot of chatter on here of it becoming mandatory in the new year.  We have a cruise book March 13, 2022 with my 9 year old.  Obviously we will get him vaccinated but I'm concerned with the time frame.  It looks like by the end of this month we will have approval and hopefully first shots in December.  If we do delayed dosing like we did for adults when first started my son won't be fully vaccinated in the next 4 months.  I've read that we've ordered 2.9 million doses but that is not enough for first and second doses.  Have any fellow Canadians heard anything about dosing with the 5-11 year olds?

 

This will be the 5th cruise we would have to reschedule (border and mixed dose problems).  It's becoming depressing.

The only encouraging comment that I can make at this time is that there have been many media reports indicating that parents aren't nearly as enthusiastic about having their 5-11 year olds vaccinated as they were for themselves or for their 12-17 year old children. So if you move quickly once the vaccine becomes available, your 9 year old may well be able to get the second shot in time for the cruise.

 

BTW, I've read that there is a similar reluctance in the US, so it's quite possible that it will not become mandatory for this age group for some time.

[MamatoJack]

When is your PIF? If it was me, I'd wait until I have to make a decision. I jumped the gun on my not quite 12-year-old and we would have been able to go on the December cruises I had booked. I moved them to March break. Pfizer is 3 weeks between so if you say 5 weeks from first dose to fully vaccinated, what's the latest he can get that first dose? End of January? You are likely going to be fine. But of course do what you feel is right. 

[MaddyandMax]

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

The only encouraging comment that I can make at this time is that there have been many media reports indicating that parents aren't nearly as enthusiastic about having their 5-11 year olds vaccinated as they were for themselves or for their 12-17 year old children. So if you move quickly once the vaccine becomes available, your 9 year old may well be able to get the second shot in time for the cruise.

 

BTW, I've read that there is a similar reluctance in the US, so it's quite possible that it will not become mandatory for this age group for some time.

Thanks for that! I considered that too, especially in the US where there is already a lot more reluctance to get vaccinated even in the adult population.  The only reason why think it may become mandatory to cruise is because the cruise limes may be able to drop the masking requirements on ship, if 99% of people are fully vaccinated at that point.  At least that's what a lot of people on here seem to think...

 

I guess I'll find hopeful.  I'm trying to stay optimistic.  The constant moving, having everything cancelled, waiting forever for refunds and then booking tours and drink packages all over again is really taking the fun out it.

 

 

[MaddyandMax]

48 minutes ago, MamatoJack said:

When is your PIF? If it was me, I'd wait until I have to make a decision. I jumped the gun on my not quite 12-year-old and we would have been able to go on the December cruises I had booked. I moved them to March break. Pfizer is 3 weeks between so if you say 5 weeks from first dose to fully vaccinated, what's the latest he can get that first dose? End of January? You are likely going to be fine. But of course do what you feel is right. 

He would need to have his last shot by February 27.  Which is plenty of time IF we get enough doses and they don't do delayed second dosing.  2.9 million doses is not enough for everyone to get 2 doses, even if only half the parents jump to get it done ASAP.  And Pfizer shorted us in the past.  Lots of variables.  When we booked this cruise over a year ago vaccines for children seemed ages away...

 

[broberts]

2 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

I've read that we've ordered 2.9 million doses but that is not enough for first and second doses.  Have any fellow Canadians heard anything about dosing with the 5-11 year olds?

 

The announcement does make one wonder just what was actually meant. Perhaps someone misspoke. It could be that enough doses to vaccinate 2.9 million children, not 2.9 million doses have been ordered. Or perhaps approval for drawing doses from over stock adult vials is anticipated, although I understand they have slightly different formulations.

[Fouremco]

56 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

The announcement does make one wonder just what was actually meant. Perhaps someone misspoke. It could be that enough doses to vaccinate 2.9 million children, not 2.9 million doses have been ordered. Or perhaps approval for drawing doses from over stock adult vials is anticipated, although I understand they have slightly different formulations.

The announcement was made here in Ottawa by the PM on October 21, one that I watched live on TV, but was somewhat ambiguous. A subsequent statement by Anita Anand clarified the issue:

 

Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said in a statement that the first shipment will be 2.9 million doses, which is enough to give the first dose to all children in that age group.

 

Anand said Pfizer agreed to accelerate the deliveries, and that Canada has procured the syringes and other supplies needed to administer the doses.

 

She said second doses will be delivered depending on how fast the first doses are rolled out.

 

https://www.cp24.com/news/pfizer-will-ship-millions-of-vaccine-doses-for-kids-as-soon-as-it-s-approved-trudeau-1.5632798

 

So, enough for first doses and a number of second doses when families choose to pass, but no hurry to even order the second dose. 

 

For anyone wanting to see exactly what the PM said during his announcement, this CBC news item contains a 2 minute video clip:  https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pfizer-doses-children-5-11-approval-arrival-1.6219252

[MaddyandMax]

I do not like the sound of that. At all. We are going to get royally screwed over again. Mark my word. It’s not difficult to make a contract with dates and time frames, I work in corporate law so I know this… I do not understand our government. 
 

I also suspect more parents than people expect will vaccinate their children. Everyone I know has a vacation booked for early 2022. 

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

I also suspect more parents than people expect will vaccinate their children. Everyone I know has a vacation booked for early 2022. 

You may be right, although possibly for another reason unrelated to travel. According to this article, "Children under 12 now account for highest number of new COVID-19 infections in Canada: PHAC". That will certainly influence a lot of parents to have their kids vaxxed.

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/children-under-12-now-account-for-highest-number-of-new-covid-19-infections-in-canada-phac-1.5653533

[Ex-Airbalancer]

it took me a couple of minutes to figure out you were writing about 5-11 age group 😁
I would not worry , our health District in Ontario is already setting up mass vaccination centres , to vaccinate the 5-11 age group and to give out 3 doses 

it will go pretty fast 

 

my son is in the military, he is thinking of skipping remembrance Day , still his since his 4 month old son can not vaccinated,

he is worried about being in crowds where there maybe a large number of unvaccinated people 

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Airbalancer

[MaddyandMax]

1 hour ago, Airbalancer said:

it took me a couple of minutes to figure out you were writing about 5-11 age group 😁
I would not worry , our health District in Ontario is already setting up mass vaccination centres , to vaccinate the 5-11 age group and to give out 3 doses 

it will go pretty fast 

 

my son is in the military, he is thinking of skipping remembrance Day , still his since his 4 month old son can not vaccinated,

he is worried about being in crowds where there maybe a large number of unvaccinated people 

 

 

Please thank your son for his service!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

10 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

Please thank your son for his service!

We have 2 children in the military for over 15 year 

the daughter is a supply clerk , she was in Kuwait

the son , aerospace engineer, started off in helicopters maintenance, than Special Forces and now working with drones 

he was on the mission to look for the helicopter that crashed in the Mediterranean

it took the submergible 3 hours to get to the floor of the Med and only 10 mins to find the wreckage !

 

 

 

[1kaper]

Looks like the approval will come tomorrow.  Fingers crossed. 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pfizer-vaccine-children-1.6253616

 

[cruisegeek1974]

On 11/8/2021 at 1:48 PM, MamatoJack said:

When is your PIF? If it was me, I'd wait until I have to make a decision. I jumped the gun on my not quite 12-year-old and we would have been able to go on the December cruises I had booked. I moved them to March break. Pfizer is 3 weeks between so if you say 5 weeks from first dose to fully vaccinated, what's the latest he can get that first dose? End of January? You are likely going to be fine. But of course do what you feel is right. 

The suggested time between doses for kids is 8 weeks.  I was told this by a pediatrician and the same guideline was in the news report I heard on the radio this morning.

 

[MamatoJack]

24 minutes ago, cruisegeek1974 said:

The suggested time between doses for kids is 8 weeks.  I was told this by a pediatrician and the same guideline was in the news report I heard on the radio this morning.

 

 

I have read that as well, but I was under the impression that the trials were done with the 3 week interval so I don't know how Canada is able to change this. In any case, with approval coming this weekend, hopefully it will work out for the original OP. 

[Fouremco]

It looks like we may see Canada once again going against the flow and ignoring the manufacturer's recommended timing. Pfizer clearly states that the interval between shots should be 21 days.

[1kaper]

I am so relieved to have just booked my 7 year old his first vaccination.  We are sailing in March so he should be fully vaxxed in plenty of time. 

[1kaper]

If only the Nexus office would open back up, I'd be all set. 

 

[MaddyandMax]

We are also sailing in March.  My son got his first shot yesterday.  Was a breeze and other than a sore arm he  is completely fine today.  So as long as the second doses come when they are supposed too we are all good for our cruise 🙂

[1kaper]

18 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

We are also sailing in March.  My son got his first shot yesterday.  Was a breeze and other than a sore arm he  is completely fine today.  So as long as the second doses come when they are supposed too we are all good for our cruise 🙂

Ours just opened today.  I've been stalking the site because I knew they usually add the appointments, then announce.