Amid viral surge, pediatric infectious disease experts urge flu, COVID-19 vaccines for under 5s

Pediatric infectious diseases experts from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), CHEO, Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre and McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) have issued a joint statement in support of COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations for children aged six months to five years. As pediatric health-care providers on the frontlines of the recent surge in respiratory viruses, the group is encouraging COVID-19 and influenza vaccination for young children as one of the tools available to mitigate the impact of a difficult viral season.

“In the midst of CHEO’s emergency situation to manage the hard-hitting and early respiratory viral season, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is for families to do everything they can to reduce the transmission of disease — especially to protect their littlest ones,” says Dr. Chuck Hui, Chief of Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Allergy at CHEO. “We’re strongly encouraging both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines for everyone who is eligible.”

Young children have lowest vaccination rate and highest rate of hospitalization

Although COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged six months to five years have been available since the summer, only 7.3 per cent of Ontarian children in this age group have received a first dose with as few as 2.3 per cent being fully vaccinated. In contrast, 52.5 per cent of children aged five to 11 years old have received at least one dose with this number rising to 83.4 per cent for youth aged 12 to 17 years old.

The low vaccination rates in younger children are particularly concerning as this age group is at a higher risk for hospitalization due to COVID-19. To date, there have been 1,441 children aged zero to four years old who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 in Ontario, corresponding to a rate of 202.2 hospitalizations per 100,000 children, which is higher than the rate for older children and youth.
Data from clinical trials and various safety monitoring systems show that COVID-19 vaccine side-effects in children under five are similar to those seen with other vaccines given at this age, including irritability or crying, pain at the injection site, sleepiness and loss of appetite. To date, over 53,363 children in Ontario aged six months to five years old have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Ontario and no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis have been observed.

Additional mitigation efforts will be key as viruses of all kinds may increase in circulation

The group of experts emphasizes that efforts to mitigate the impacts of seasonal viruses on young children will be of the utmost importance as they anticipate viral circulation will continue to increase. In addition to COVID-19 vaccination, they encourage influenza vaccination for all those who are eligible, hand hygiene, masks in indoor settings and staying home when sick.

Caregivers who are interested in vaccinating their children against COVID-19 should speak with their primary care provider or book an appointment online. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine for children under five, visit SickKids’ trusted health information site, AboutKidsHealth, or speak with a SickKids clinician through the COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service.

Respiratory virus resources for caregivers

- Fever
- Cough and colds
- Influenza (flu)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- COVID-19
- Kids Come First Care Clinic and other clinics (in the Ottawa region) assessing children with cold, COVID and flu-like symptoms
- SickKids Virtual Urgent Care