Alberta's youth vaccination rate the lowest in Canada

Alberta continues to have the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates for children in the country, despite the surge of Omicron variant cases. 

Child-sized doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 years old were approved in Canada on Nov. 19, 2021. Appointments to dole out the doses in Alberta began days later on Nov. 24. 

Alberta has 391,430 children in the five to 11 age group and, according to the province, 166,319 (42.5 per cent) have received at least their first dose while 24,010 (6.1 per cent) have had two shots. 

Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping says a vaccine hesitancy committee has been established to investigate potential ways to improve vaccination rates in the five to 11 age group. Vaccine information has been sent directly to guardians and is also available online.

"We urge all parents to look at the information," said Copping on Monday, before confirming that Alberta is in line with its provincial counterparts. "Our approach is not that dissimilar from other provinces in terms of rolling out the vaccines." 

The province has opened up vaccination sites throughout Alberta with extended hours, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., to accommodate the schedules of families as well as the desire of parents to accompany their children.

The numbers released by the government of Alberta vary slightly from those issued by the federal government, but both show Alberta trails other provinces in the percentage of children who have received their first dose.

Percentage of children (5-11) to receive their first dose as of Jan. 15

• B.C.: 47.4
• Alta.: 39.8          
• Sask.: 50.4
• Man.: 52.7
• Ont.: 49.6
• Que.: 59.0    
• N.L.: 74.7
• N.B.: 54.9
• N.S.: 64.1
• P.E.I.: 57.8
• Yukon: 53.9
• N.W.T.: 54.7
• Nvt.: 50.4

Percentage of children (5-11) considered fully vaccinated as of Jan. 15

• B.C.: 0.1
• Alta.: 5.2
• Sask.: 18.9
• Man.: 3.0
• Ont.: 6.6
• Que.: 4.2     
• N.L.: 0.1
• N.B.: 3.2
• N.S.: 0.03
• P.E.I.: 0.0     
• Yukon: 0.0
• N.W.T.: 0.0
• Nvt.: 0.1

With files from The Canadian Press.