Canadian health authorities are set to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12 for the first time on Friday, according to media reports from multiple agencies.
It’s expected Health Canada will announce approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 5 to 11, paving the way for increased community vaccine coverage and additional protection for individual children.
The Toronto Star first reported the news, citing anonymous sources.
Millions of children have already received the vaccine in the United States, where it was approved by the FDA in late October.
Canada is expected to receive millions of doses within weeks.
Medical officer of health Dr. Janet DeMille has said the Thunder Bay District Health Unit was already preparing for the rollout of vaccines to younger groups, with approval of Pfizer’s formulation widely expected.
The company’s children’s vaccine involves a lower dose than its adult formulation, with data indicating it’s about 91 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, has indicated the interval between children’s doses will be eight weeks, unlike in the U.S., where it was shortened to three weeks.
Children under 12 have had the highest incidence rates of COVID-19 in recent weeks, according to Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam – though they are less likely to develop severe symptoms.
Moderna also recently submitted its vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 for Health Canada approval.
