'It will still be safe,' Expert says non-vaccinated kids under 12 should return to school
The province's advanced COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which now includes children 12 to 17, is one step closer to getting students back in classrooms this fall, according to Dr. Sohail Gandhi, the former president of the Ontario Medical Association.
"It's positive news. Our children desperately need to get back into school. They need to get back into social environments. They need to get back into after-school activities," said Dr. Gandhi.
Despite no vaccine being available to kids under 12, Dr. Gandhi believes it's okay for parents to send them back to in-person learning.
"We know they are far, far less likely to transmit the disease when they're under the age of 12. So I do believe it will still be safe for them to return to school in September even though they haven't been vaccinated yet."
Dr. Gandhi also touched on adults who have not received their first dose. He said to slow the transmission of COVID-19, a minimum of 75 per cent of the overall population must be fully vaccinated.
"It's really only then can we look at going back to completely normal," said Dr. Gandhi.
He believes that the benchmark could be accomplished in late fall.
"We have a lot of work to do to combat vaccine hesitancy that's still out there. There's, unfortunately, some misinformation about how the vaccines work and how they were developed," said Dr. Gandhi.
He urges anyone hesitant about getting vaccinated to go to reputable websites where vaccine information is available in 30 different languages.
In recent weeks, countries worldwide have reported an increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
Dr. Gandhi said he is closely watching the hospitalization and intensive care unit admission rates in those countries.
He said what's being shown is that fully vaccinated people have a low chance of winding up in a hospital or ICU.
"You'll get a very mild case at best, and you'll be over it," said Dr. Gandhi.
Ontario is nearly a week into Step 2 of reopening, and Dr. Gandhi is hopeful if case numbers remain low, the province will near Step 3.
"There's been so many times here we have had to take a step backwards after taking a step forward over the last 16 months, but if the trends continue like they are continuing, then I do anticipate us going into the next stage on July 20th as planned," said Dr. Gandhi.
A complete list of where to find a COVID-19 Immunization clinic and how to book an appointment is available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.