PEOPLE with children aged six months to four years are advised that Canada’s current supply of the infant Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine expires on March 8, the Health Ministry announced on Monday.
British Columbia does not yet have a confirmed date for the arrival of a new supply of the infant Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Based on information from the federal government, B.C. is expecting supply of this infant vaccine starting on April 11.
Those parents or guardians who have booked appointments for their children aged six months to four years for a COVID-19 vaccine between March 9 and April 10 will be contacted to discuss their options for rebooking. Parents or guardians can also reschedule the appointment themselves by calling the call centre at 1-833-838-2323.
For children who are booked for both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, they can proceed with the influenza vaccination and return at a later date for the COVID-19 vaccine. If more than eight weeks have passed since the child’s first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, their appointment for a second dose to complete their vaccination series can be moved up to before March 9. If their previous dose was less than eight weeks ago, they will be assisted in rebooking an appointment after April 11.
The infant Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is also available and safe to substitute for the infant Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer infant series requires three doses at eight-week intervals as opposed to the two-dose Moderna infant vaccine series. Children who have already received their first dose of infant Moderna can receive infant Pfizer as their second dose. However, they will require a third Pfizer dose to achieve full vaccination.
There is currently no booster dose for children aged six months to four years.
The COVID-19 vaccine for infants continues to be the best protection against severe illness associated with the COVID-19 virus.
B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccination program has helped keep people safe. To date, approximately 21% of infants and children between six months and four years of age in B.C. have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Learn More:
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for young children, visit:Â https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/
To register with the provincial Get Vaccinated system or to get a new booking link, visit:Â https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/
