Pediatric Moderna vaccine rolling out across the north

Public health units in the northeast held their first clinics for Moderna's pediatric Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine, aiming to protect young children between six months and five years of age from the virus.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) and the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) are among those seeing high demand for the first clinics offering the new shot on Thursday, with many dates already filling up.

The Timmins-area health unit's chief nursing officer, Chantal Riopel, said now that pretty much all age groups are eligible for the shot, families are all the more protected.

"Not all children experience mild symptoms when it comes to COVID, and so the vaccine will provide them with added protection," said Riopel.

"It also will protect the family members that they live with or they interact with, so protecting (children) also protects those around them."

The PHU is dealing with three COVID-19 outbreaks at two long-term care homes in Timmins and Iroquois Falls and an undisclosed congregate living setting.

Riopel said COVID-related hospitalizations are stable, with the Timmins and District Hospital treating four patients as of July 27.

PHSD is experiencing a more serious situation, having upgraded to a high-risk infection category amid a two-week case surge in high-risk settings.

"The risk of transmission has increased in our area," said Nastassia McNair, the Sudbury-area health unit's research manager.

"Two indicators where we saw increases are seven to eight per cent positivity (rates) and (patients) in-hospital due to COVID-19 per day. So we're seeing increases in both of those."

The hope is that getting young children vaccinated will help curb the spike and ensure they don't have severe symptoms, McNair said, which is why it was encouraging to see PHSD's first clinics fully booked.

The pediatric vaccine is currently available by appointment only, which health officials said is to ensure parents have dedicated slots to get the new shot, as well as to ask questions about its benefits and potential side-effects

McNair said the overall results of the pediatric shot, when it comes to limiting the virus' spread and decreasing hospitalizations, will be monitored as the shot continues rolling out around the region.