The push to get eligible students vaccinated as back to school approaches
As parents and students wait to hear back to school plans from local boards, there's a push to get as many eligible kids vaccinated as possible.
Many teens and doctors agree - the best place for learning as restrictions ease - is in the classroom.
Barrie resident Sandro Fuentes celebrated his twelfth birthday Thursday afternoon by receiving his first COVID-19 vaccine.
"We're going to try to get both doses before school starts so I can have less restrictions," Sandro says.
One focus is trying to avoid another interrupted school year filled with stops and starts, outbreaks and a shift to online learning.
"There's a lot of fallout from kids having been home for so long and stress, anxiety, not socializing." says Dr. Rania Hiram, a pediatrician at RVH. "We need to normalize their lives and just get back to normal as much as we can."
Dr. Hiram says she's seeing an increase in mental health crises in children and eating disorders growing at a rate she's never seen before.
"Sports, extra-curricular activists, socialization outside with their peers, so those are all very important aspects of a child's development," Hiram says.
The local school boards in Simcoe Muskoka have not released a timeline for when families can decide whether returning for in-person learning is right for them.
Barrie's Sperling Drive clinic will be accepting drop-ins from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the rest of this week. View their walk-in schedule on their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.