Andrew (6) loves to play soccer, but starting next February he will have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to continue. The other "option" is to sit at home on the sofa. Many children and their parents, whether for hockey, gymnastics or swimming are looking at the same "choice". So why would a child not get vaccinated (as in, what are the parents thinking?!)?

Could it possibly be that they are thinking too little too soon? There is very little risk of serious outcomes from COVID 19 to healthy children 5-11 years old and getting a vaccine with very little safety data mighty not be an acceptable risk for their family. The Canadian Paediatric Association says, "Children with SARS-CoV-2 infection generally present with mild illness or remain asymptomatic. Severe outcomes such as hospitalization, ICU admission, and death are rare." On the other hand, in the clinical trial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, 1,518 children received the vaccine and they were followed for adverse effects for a whole 2.4 weeks. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization position is that the vaccine "may be offered" to kids 5-11, not "recommended" and not "necessary". 

Public Health Units (PHUs) in Ontario are starting to require children 5-11 to be vaccinated against COVID 19 with a first dose as of February 2022 to participate in sports. But requiring COVID 19 vaccination to participate in sports, when kids are at great risk of poor health outcomes for not moving enough is perverse. Public health ought to be far more than just keeping COVID 19 cases down. 

The Ontario government and Ministry of Health ought to take into account the overall health of children and not fixate on eliminating COVID 19 at any cost. PHUs ought to act accordingly. This petition will be presented to an MP willing to deliver it to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the government will have 24 sitting days to respond to it. 

Source: https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/vaccine-for-children-5-to-11