Canada authorizes first COVID-19 vaccine for kids
CTV
Health Canada has authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine for children, giving the regulatory green light to Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose vaccine. Children ages five to 11 are now eligible to receive this vaccine, in a smaller dosage than has been offered to those ages 12 and above.
Children ages five to 11 are now eligible to receive this vaccine, in a smaller dosage than has been offered to those ages 12 and above.
The doses that will be offered to younger children will be one-third of what has been offered to those ages 12 and above, with Health Canada approving the doses to be given 21 days apart.
According to Health Canada’s authorization, clinical trials have shown that the Pfizer vaccine was 95 per cent effective in protecting trial participants from COVID-19 for those 16 years and older, 100 per cent effective for those 12 to 15 years old, and 90.7 per cent effective for those five to 11 years old.
Officials from Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization are expected to outline later Friday morning more about prioritization and the logistics of immunizing this younger age demographic.
