Are you 12-17 years old and want a COVID-19 vaccine? Get to the Flin Flon Community Hall - today's your chance.
A walk-in clinic only for youth ages 12-17 is taking place today at the Community Hall, according to the Northern Health Region (NHR). No appointments are necessary. The clinic will take place from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
At this clinic, people in the targeted age group will be among the first in Flin Flon to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines - the only vaccine currently approved for use in Canada for people under age 18. The Pfizer vaccine was approved recently by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to be used for people as young as 12.
People ages 12-15 can attend their appointment with a parent, guardian or caregiver or bring a signed consent form - if a teenager seeking a vaccine appointment has neither, they will be spoken with by a clinical lead in what the province calls an "informed consent process" to determine whether or not they want to continue with getting the vaccine. People ages 16-17 can sign their own consent form for their appointments.
The Pfizer vaccine is currently approved for people ages 12 and up in Canada. The Moderna vaccine, which has been the vaccine most used in Flin Flon as of May 29, is approved for people age 18 and up, but not for anyone younger.
"The vaccine is approved for people who are 18 years of age and older. Its safety and effectiveness in people younger than 18 years of age have not yet been established," reads the PHAC's official guidance on the Moderna vaccines.
“NACI [National Advisory Committee on Immunization] will be issuing updated guidance in the coming weeks.”
In Manitoba, all people age 12 and up can book an appointment for a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. All Indigenous people in Manitoba age 12 and up are also eligible for a second dose as long as they have met time interval requirements from their first dose. All people in Manitoba who received their first dose on or before April 3 can also get a second dose, as can people with a list of health conditions or taking certain medications - a full list of qualifying conditions and medications can be found on the Manitoba government's website.
