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TORONTO — Ontario expects to receive supply of COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of six months and five years by "late next week."

A spokesman for Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the province expects supply of the pediatric Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to come from the federal government by then, now that the shot has been approved in Canada. 

Stephen Warner said in a statement the government is ready to distribute the shots across the province and aims to begin administering doses "as soon as possible." 

"We will keep parents informed and share more information in advance of the vaccines arriving in Ontario on when and how parents can book a vaccine for their children," he said.

The news from Ontario follows a federal announcement that Health Canada has approved Moderna's two-dose pediatric vaccine for young children. 

The drug regulator says the vaccine can be administered in doses one-quarter the size approved for adults, at an interval of about four weeks between shots. 

Ottawa's Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario tweeted that parents would soon be able to pre-register at the clinic "if your child needs extra support to receive their vaccination."

"Infants and young kids have waited the longest for approved protection against COVID-19. This is a great step forward and we encourage all parents to get your youngest kids vaccinated against COVID and the many other infections for which there are safe kids' vaccines that work well," the hospital said on Twitter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022. 

The Canadian Press