with early start influenza weather and COVID-19 Many hospitals across eastern Ontario are urging parents of young children to update their vaccinations, despite no further relaxations in 2022.
Only seven per cent of children under the age of five in Ontario have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine, and only two per cent have been fully vaccinated.
“We really need to study and ask people why. Is it the opportunity? Is it the messaging? Is it the perception that the coronavirus is not harmful to children? Is it the risk-benefit discussion that parents- What has father done to himself?” said Dr. Kirk Leifso with the Kingston Health Sciences Center.
Health Canada Children’s pain medicine comes to Kingston, shortage continues
read more
The number of COVID-19 in the Kingston area has dropped since the eighth wave hit the area earlier.
Experts predict that COVID will remain at a low level for the next few months, but the virus has not gone away.
“The flu is really COVID out-competed in many ways. We are seeing higher test positivity for Influenza than for Covid,” said Dr Gerald Evans, Chair of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Queen’s University.
Other respiratory diseases such as Influenza, COVID and RSV have put a major strain on the pediatric health care system.
KHSC has recently expanded the number of beds they have, but they are still running short.
“We used to have 14 beds, now we have 21 beds and we are full. We are actually over capacity. From both our local population, I think the latest number of kids we’ve got from outside Kingston is 20,” Leifso said.
Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are an effective way for individuals to protect themselves from the virus and can reduce the risk of children ending up in an already overburdened hospital system, Leifso said.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.