Health Canada gives the thumbs up for the Comirnaty vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11.
The formerly known Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine originally was submitted for approval for the age group on October 18.
Officials released the following statement Friday morning:
“After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, the Department has determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years of age outweigh the risks. Health Canada has authorized a two-dose regimen of 10 micrograms to be administered three weeks apart, which is a lower dose than the 30 micrograms two-dose regimen authorized for people 12 years of age and older. The clinical trial showed that the immune response in children 5 to 11 years of age was comparable to the immune response in people 16 to 25 years of age. The vaccine was 90.7% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children 5 to 11 years of age and no serious side effects were identified.”
Health Canada is currently still reviewing the Spikevax (Moderna) vaccine for children aged 6 to 11.
Currently in Canada 78.8 per cent of people 12 and older have received at least one dose of an approved vaccine, while 75.3 per cent are fully vaccinated.
