I hadn?t even made it home after receiving my second COVID-19 vaccine before the rush of relief turned into apprehension. What about my kids" My own immunity doesn?t just flip the switch on a more normal life if my kids are still susceptible to COVID. Or does it"
As more and more Canadians over the age of 12 become fully vaccinated, case counts come down and COVID-19 restrictions start to lift, parents with children too young to get a vaccine are left wondering where this leaves them. Last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada released guidelines for fully or partially-vaccinated Canadians, but didn?t address families with kids under 12 who aren’t eligible for vaccines yet.
The good news is that, according to Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious disease specialist at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ont., vaccinations have fundamentally changed the public health outlook in this country. This means that instead of blanket health guidelines that apply to everyone, we can expect to see an emphasis on personal risk assessment. What?s safe enough for the family across the street might not be safe enough for you. We spoke with Chakrabarti and Michael Zakhary, a medical officer of health in Edmonton, Alta., to get a handle on what otherwise vaccinated families with children under 12 need to keep in mind this summer.
Both experts agree that families need to gauge their own comfort level when making their COVID-19 risk assessments. There?s nothing wrong with t...