'We're all tired': Maritime parents persist through COVID-19 challenges as they await vaccine for young children
Karen Fosters' daughters are learning from home this week after their school was abruptly shut down as of Sunday night because of COVID-19 cases.
"This was after roughly two weeks of exposure notices," says Foster, "and also a lot of conflicting messages."
"We got a close contact letter, and then we got a letter that said, 'no, you're not a close contact' … and then we got another letter that said, 'yeah, you were actually a close contact.'"
All that meant getting the family tested multiple times.
Her children, who are five and eight years old, both attend Dartmouth South Academy, which is one of three Nova Scotia schools closed most recently due to mounting COVID-19 exposure warnings.
The last-minute notice means it's been a scramble for parents juggling work and home.
"And I think we're all tired and our nerves are frayed," says Foster.
She also feels somewhat fortunate, however, because both she and her husband can work from home. But Foster worries about families who don't have that option when a school suddenly closes.
"I think a lot about people who don't have that luxury, and if they take a day off they don't get paid," says Foster, "I just don't know how people are doing it."
Foster also worries about the fact that she and her husband are vaccinated, while her children are too young.
It's just one example of the pressure parents are under while trying to keep their children safe and healthy in the ongoing pandemic.
It's something parent Alva Bourque relates to all too well. Both she and her husband are essential workers, which also means plenty of precautions and testing both inside and outside the home.
"It is challenging, very, very challenging," says Bourque during her lunch break in Halifax.
With a child in Grade 2, and the other in daycare, Bourque says her family is constantly vigilant about masking, physical distancing, and hand washing.
She has also been driving her daughter to school instead of using the school bus, to try to cut down on potential close contacts.
"Both my husband and I are double-vaccinated," says Bourque, "so I feel like we are protecting our children who cannot have the vaccine for now."
That's one thing parents like Bourque and Foster hope will change soon, now that Pfizer has officially asked Health Canada to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for children between five and 11 years old.
"We'll feel a lot better knowing we all have some protection against the virus," says Foster.
"Can it be tomorrow?" laughs Bourque.
Health Canada says it will only authorize the Pfizer vaccine if the benefits outweigh any potential health risks for that age group.
Then, the vaccine must be reviewed by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
After that, it's up to the provinces to determine how to deliver it as quickly as possible.
"Once we get through those two steps, the vaccine team is already working in detail planning that," Dr. Robert Strang explained in Nova Scotia's COVID-19 update Tuesday morning.
Until all those steps are completed, families like the Fosters and the Bourques will forge ahead as best they can, handling whatever else comes next in the pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.