Canada approves Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15
- The shot was previously authorised for anyone 16 or older
- The announcement comes a month after Pfizer found that its jab also provided protection for the younger group
Dr Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, on Wednesday confirmed the decision for the ages to 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life.
The vaccine was previously authorised for anyone 16 or older.
The US Food and Drug Administration is also expected to authorise Pfizer’s vaccine for young by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year.
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The announcement comes barely a month after the company found that its shot, which is already authorised for those age 16 and older, also provided protection for the younger group.
Pfizer in late March released preliminary results from a vaccine study of 2,260 US volunteers ages 12 to 15 showing there were no cases of Covid-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with 18 among those given dummy shots.
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Children had side effects similar to young adults, the company said. The main side effects are pain, fever, chills and fatigue, particularly after the second dose.
The study will continue to track participants for two years for more information about long-term protection and safety.
