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Children in Alberta between the ages of six months and five years can receive COVID-19 vaccinations starting August 2, 2022. (Photo: CHAT News Today)

Children under five can receive first COVID-19 vaccine starting August 2, 2022

Jul 29, 2022 | 4:49 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Children in Alberta between the ages of six months to five years will be able to receive doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

In a news release, Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping says the provincial government is happy to provide more options for parents.

“We are pleased to now offer a vaccine for families with children under the age of five,” Copping said in the release. “Parents are in the best position to decide whether the vaccination is right for their children, and we are providing them with the information they need to help them make that choice.”

The vaccine will be administered only by Alberta Health Services (AHS), as doses for this specific age group are outside the scope of practice for Pharmacists.

Children in this age group who live on First Nations land can access their doses through nursing stations or public health clinics in their communities.

AHS recommends that children between the ages of six months and eleven years wait at least eight weeks between their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised can receive three doses of the vaccine, waiting four to eight weeks between doses.

Currently in Alberta, there are more than 234,000 children who are now eligible for their vaccinations.

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