MEMO: Urgent Action Required – Child COVID-19 Vaccinations

TO:  Physicians and Primary Care Providers in Niagara

FROM: Pandemic Response Division, Niagara Region Public Health

REFERENCE: Urgent Action Required – Child COVID-19 Vaccinations

DATE:  Jan. 12, 2022

Since Health Canada authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine in children 5–11 years of age on November 19, 2021, more than 40% of this population have received a first dose in Niagara. Although this is a great achievement, we still have a long way to go. Children under 12 years of age have the highest rate of COVID-19 infections. While severe outcomes and hospitalization is less common than in older age groups, some children can develop severe disease, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition; a few children do die of COVID-19. 

With the return to in-person learning just around the corner, we must work together to vaccinate as many children as possible.  Vaccination is currently the leading public health strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Niagara Region Public Health is currently offering pediatric doses through our mass vaccination site at Niagara Falls (Scotiabank) Convention Center. Appointment times are available and can be accessed on the Provincial COVID-19 Vaccination Portal. For more information on Public Health’s clinics and a list of those eligible for walk-in appointments, please visit our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Schedule webpage. Promoting vaccination uptake among school-aged children in our community can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports. 

We know that parents have many questions about vaccinating their children. As a trusted source of health information as well as the first point of entry into the healthcare system, you play a critical role in combatting misinformation and building confidence in vaccines with parents and guardians.

Urgent Action Required

Physicians and primary care providers are asked to support local efforts in vaccinating this age group.  COVID-19 vaccination continues to be available through Public Health mass immunization clinics, participating pharmacies or participating family doctor’s offices and walk-in clinics. However, we need to expand the volume and opportunities available in Niagara.

1. Assist families by emphasizing the safety and communicating the importance of getting their child vaccinated and perhaps helping them make an appointment to get their children 5-11 years of age vaccinated
   • Family physicians working in Patient Enrolment Models are eligible to use billing code Q007 if they help patients arrange for COVID-19 vaccination (not for those providing general information around how to access or register for an appointment or where a family physician administers vaccine to the patient and bills for the vaccination services)
     • For more information, please read the Ontario Health Insurance Plan InfoBulletin
2. Prioritize in-office vaccinations for children 5-11 years of age against COVID-19
   • If you administer vaccines directly in your office, you can bill a G593+Q593 (out-of-basket at $18.60 per patient)
   • If you are unable to offer vaccination in your office, please refer patients to Niagara Region Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Schedule to ensure they are able to access information about how and where to Get Vaccinated

Administering COVID-19 Vaccine In-Office

• In order to administer COVID-19 vaccine, your office must be an approved COVID-19 vaccine site
  • To express interest in administering vaccine or to request more information email HCPengagement@niagararegion.ca
• As a reminder, children must be 5 years of age at the time of vaccination. Those turning five in 2022 must wait until their firth birthday to receive the pediatric vaccine.

Strategies for Reaching These Groups

Consider strategies available to you to identify and contact parents and guardians of patients in this age group.

• During routine appointments (both in-person and telephone), ask about vaccination status and if the child has not received their vaccine, offer them the opportunity to be vaccinated
• Access your weekly COVaxON Report via the Ontario Health eReport portal by using your Ontario Health ONE® ID to login – select “ONE ID” to login.
• Consider conducting quick search of your EMR, to identify eligible children in this population and you may chose to place a telephone call or send an e-mail to stress the importance and outline how to go about booking a vaccination appointment.
  • If you need help with your particular EMR, you can contact HCPengagement@niagararegion.ca for direction.
• If you want a sample e-mail template that covers all the important information, providing something that is easy for your patients to understand, you can send a request to HCPengagement@niagararegion.ca

“We as primary care providers have faced all of the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. The increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, coupled with the resumption of in-class learning, places young children at a heightened risk of exposure and infection. We know that the best way to prevent this is to ensure as much vaccination uptake as possible. Please make every attempt to engage with parents, answer their questions, address their concerns, and encourage vaccination. As their most trusted healthcare provider, you are uniquely able to increase uptake of this life-saving vaccine and help us keep our children as safe as they can be.” *Dr. David Dec, Community Coordination Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccination Chair

More Information

• Encourage parents/guardians who have questions about pediatric COVID-19 vaccination to visit Public Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination in Children and Youth webpage
• If you have questions about this memo, please call the COVID-19 Primary Care Info-Line call at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074, press 7, then 1 for physicians. Calls are answered Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.