McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Parents were learning Monday how soon their younger children could get an appointment for a COVID-19 shot as shipments of the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine made their way across the country.
Ontario parents heard they could start making appointments for eligible kids ages five to 11 starting Tuesday. Doses were expected to be administered as early as Thursday, the province said.
"Offering the protection of the vaccine to children aged five to 11 is a significant milestone in Ontario's fight against COVID-19 in advance of the holiday season," Health Minister Christine Elliott said.
The province said about one million children will be eligible.
It expects to get 1,076,000 doses from the federal government. Just over 400,000 were to arrive Monday.
One-third of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario are in school-aged children.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said earlier this month that children under 12 account for the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections.
Parents in the Prairie provinces were eager to book vaccinations for their children after months of increasing infections and extreme pressure on health care earlier this fall.
More than 15,000 appointments were made in Manitoba by Monday afternoon, only a few hours after they became available. There are about 125,000 children who are eligible and doses were expected to start going into arms by the end of the week.
"These vaccines can't come soon enough," said Dr. Marcia Anderson, medical lead for the Manitoba First Nations pandemic response team. She said enough vaccines for about 15,000 children were to be shipped to First Nations later this week.
Saskatchewan was expecting about 112,000 doses to be delivered Tuesday -- nearly enough for the 115,000 children in the province who are eligible. Vaccinations, expected to start the next day, are to be available at community clinics, schools and pharmacies.
The province was hit hard by the pandemic's fourth wave with surging cases and hospitalizations. Some COVID-19 patients were transferred out of province for treatment as intensive-care units became overwhelmed.
Infections have begun to stabilize, but Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman said the arrival of vaccines for younger children will provide more protection.
"The immunization of this age cohort will also help to reduce transmission of the virus and ensure that children can continue to enjoy their friends and activities," Merriman said in a statement.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney encouraged parents to get their young children immunized. Vaccines were to start arriving in the province Monday and kids were expected to get a jab later this week.
Alberta opened online pre-registration of children for vaccines in October. More than 390,000 youngsters will be eligible for shots.
Kenney defended his government's plan to administer the vaccine through clinics. He said few students got shots on school sites when the vaccine was offered to older youth.
The Pfizer vaccine was previously authorized for anyone 16 years and older and, in May, it was approved for those 12 and up. The pediatric version for children between five and 11 is a smaller dose, which officials say is common in all types of vaccines for children.
Many provinces have said they are ensuring their vaccine rollout plan is kid-friendly, with more time to give doses in quieter spaces and cubicles or family pods, so parents can give support.
Most have said they expect to be administering doses to children by the end of the week.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault said his government would provide plans Tuesday. Officials previously said the goal was to administer one dose to the roughly 700,000 eligible children by Christmas.
The fourth wave is having a greater effect on children because they've been unable to get vaccinated, said the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health.
Kids have also felt the significant impact of school closures and activity cancellations forced by the pandemic, the group said in a statement.
"With pediatric vaccination, we now have an option for added protection for school-aged children from COVID-19," it said.
"Along with continuing to practice individual public-health measures, this option can help them to safely participate in the activities that matter most."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2021.
With files from Steve Lambert and Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg and Dean Bennett in Edmonton
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.