Vaccines for kids turning 12? Great, but where's the EO?

Twitter had a question yesterday for Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott: What's up with extending COVID vaccine eligibility to youngsters just on the other side of 12, but not giving pharmacists the official thumbs-up to start injecting these kids? An August 18 post from Toronto researcher and writer Sue Gowans poked the health minister after she heard from a parent who had tried to get her son, who is turning 12 this year, vaccinated. The Shoppers Drug Mart they went to told them the store had not yet received an executive order. "It is not technically wrong to turn away the patient" in the scenario described by Gowans, Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said in an email. "Technically it was not authorized until the EO notice is sent to the pharmacy." However, added Bates, there are instances where a pharmacist can use their professional judgement. "It is an individual decision for the health professional and they would consider multiple things when making the decision," he said. Read: Keeping up with COVID (I'm not, actually) This isn't the first time the ministry has left pharmacists hanging after a COVID-vaccine related announcement, said James Morrison, director of pharmacy excellence at Markham, Ont.-based Whole Health Pharmacy Partners, which operates about 100 independent pharmacies in six provinces. "This has been the case for other updates to the vaccine program over the last months," Morrison said in an email. "We often see a press release and then an EO notice shortly thereafter." Morrison added an optimistic note: "We should have it soon." Ontario’s chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore announced on Tuesday that, effective August 18, all Ontario children who are turning 12 before the end of 2021 can receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine appointments can be made through the provincial booking system or a local public health agency, or patients can walk into vaccination clinics across the province, Dr. Moore said. He also said the province would provide a third, booster shot to "vulnerable Ontarians" such as transplant recipients and those with blood cancer. Pharmacy Practice+ Business reached out to the Ministry of Health for comment and was advised by email that the media relations team will "look into this." Morrison turned out to be right. The executive order did arrive in his inbox at 5:41pm on August 18—several hours late but just in time, perhaps, for a pre-dinner vaccination for hundreds of soon-to-be-12 Ontario children. Read: After their starring role during the pandemic, will pharmacists continue to shine post-COVID?

Vaccines for kids turning 12? Great, but where's the EO?

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