Public Health Agency of Canada Memo Warned Against Hugging Maskless Unvaccinated Children

Children sanitize their hands while physical distancing after getting their pictures taken at picture day at St. Barnabas Catholic School during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scarborough, Ont., on Oct. 27, 2020. The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette

A 2022 memo by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recommended wearing masks or going outdoors before hugging unvaccinated children, who could be carriers of COVID-19 and may “pass the virus onto others.”

“Determine if additional preventive practices are needed when hugging or being physical close, for example wearing masks and gathering outdoors,” PHAC said in a memo marked “updated” on April 19, 2022. “Hugs are safer if the child wears a mask,” the memo noted, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

In the memo title “Evergreen MLQA For Vaccine Communications,“ obtained through an access to information request, a question was asked about parents protecting their children who were under 12 years of age and too young for COVID-19 vaccines.

The memo came five months after Health Canada, in November 2021, approved the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

“Because children under 12 are not eligible for vaccination yet, there is still a risk they can get infected with COVID-19 and pass the virus on to others. However, if everyone around them is fully vaccinated, the risk of transmission is lower,” the memo said.

While a Dec. 10, 2021, PHAC report titled “Update on COVID-19 in Canada: Epidemiology and Modelling” acknowledged that “outbreaks in school and childcare settings remain small in size and predominantly involve young children, under 12 years of age,” there was still a risk that children could become infected with the virus, become ill, and pass it onto others.

“It’s important that every eligible person around them gets fully vaccinated so their risk is lower,” the memo said.

“Parents and guardians are encouraged to assess everyone’s risk and comfort levels to determine if extra personal preventive practices are needed when visiting certain places or engaging in activities with others from outside of one’s immediate household, for example hugging or being physically close or eating meals together.”

According to federal data from around that time, few unvaccinated children were hospitalized with COVID-19. Figures show that as of June 6, 2023, a total of 7,253 children aged 0 to 11 have been hospitalized with the disease, while 44 have died.

According to the federal government, as of April 23, 2023, only 5.7 percent of children under 5 years old have completed their primary vaccine series, while nearly 40 percent of children aged 5 to 11 have completed it.