In Tuesday’s provincial COVID-19 update from the Alberta government, and one day before the launch of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine program for children five to 11-years-old, the government highlighted the death of a child under two related to COVID-19..Although Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said COVID-19 was a “contributing factor” in the infant’s death, she said there were also, “complex pre-existing conditions that played a significant role,” but did not elaborate any further..“The government is again causing fearmongering and anxiety amongst the population just before the release of the vaccine for kids,” Wildrose Independence Party (WIP) leader Paul Hinman told the Western Standard in an interview..“Please tell us what pre-existing conditions were involved and how long they’ve had them,” said Hinman..“They never mention that.”.Alberta Health launched the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination program for children aged five-11 on Wednesday with more than 394,000 pediatric doses arriving in Alberta..A Government of Alberta release says the vaccines are currently being distributed across the province to Alberta Health Services (AHS) vaccination clinics and pharmacies in communities where AHS clinics are not nearby..“The wait is nearly over for Alberta families with children between the ages of five and 11,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney..“Now that there is a safe, effective vaccine approved for use for these youngsters, and with doses arriving in the province, we can start booking appointments.”.Vaccination appointments can be booked starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday with dates available as early as Friday..Alberta Minister of Health, Jason Copping said the newly-arrived Pfizer pediatric vaccines are being sent to over 100 locations across Alberta to “safely and quickly make these doses available to young Albertans.”.Copping says 42,860 appointments were booked for the pediatric Pfizer vaccine as of 11:30 this morning. .“This is very concerning that the government would release such a statement the day before it is releasing vaccines for children five to 11,” said Hinman..“This does nothing but feed the fear and anxiety that this government and chief medical officer want to continue to spread and perpetuate.”.Hinman alludes to what he calls “carefully crafted” wording that “minimizes the fact of complex pre-existing conditions” which he feels should have been shared while pointing to an incident of “fake news” reported in an earlier provincial COVID-19 address..In October, Hinshaw reported the death of a 14-year-old boy as COVID-19 related. Although she mentioned the boy had “pre-existing conditions” that contributed to his death, his sister, Simone Spitzer, quickly took to Facebook calling out the Alberta government for spreading “fake news.”.“He died from Stage 4 brain cancer, not from covid. This is fake news,” said Spitzer in the post..“He was diagnosed in January 2021 and hospitalized in August. Two days before his death he was tested for covid and it turned out positive.”. Within two days of Spitzer’s post, Hinshaw publicly apologized to the family and said she was sorry if her comments added to the Spitzer family’s grief. .“Announcing this without any other details is reprehensible to me,” said Hinman adding he would be doing things “very differently” if he were in charge..“First of all, if we are going to report on deaths, we need to be reporting on all deaths and break it down so there is better perspective,” said Hinman..“Second, we shouldn’t be talking about cases; we should simply be talking about those who are sick..“When you look at the actual stats, the idea that these children need to have an injection is not supported,” said Hinman, referencing a graph from the Government of Alberta website.. Alberta-Health-StatsData from the Alberta government website .Hinman cites low case rates of hospitalizations for two age groups under 20 years of age. He also points to even lower case rates of ICU admissions for those same age groups..“These case rates don’t include how many of these children had pre-existing conditions. That’s important information to include and they (the government) never include that,” said Hinman..“This vaccine hasn’t gone through proper safety trials and kids have a really low threat from COVID.”.But Hinshaw said: “The evidence is clear that the pediatric Pfizer vaccine is highly effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19..“Parents who choose to have their young children vaccinated against this virus will not only help to protect their kids but their families and communities too.”.Hinman said what upsets him the most is “COVID segregation.”.“The unvaccinated are being blamed for spreading COVID but there is categorical evidence that the vaccinated are carriers as well,” said Hinman..The Western Standard reached out to Alberta Health for comment but did not hear back in time for publication..Parents are being encouraged to book first-dose appointments for their children aged five-11 through the Alberta Vaccine Booking System or by calling Health Link at 8-1-1..AHS says the recommended interval between first and second doses for children aged five-to-11 is at least eight weeks. It is also recommended that children should not receive any other childhood vaccinations within 14 days of the COVID-19 vaccine..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.mrisdon@westernstandonline.com
