Canada approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children

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Canada’s health regulator has approved Pfizers’ COVID-19 vaccine for children

By ROB GILLIES Associated Press

19 November 2021, 19:45

4 minutes to read

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HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Canada’s health regulator on Friday approved Pfizers’ COVID-19 vaccine for children on Friday and announced it will allow Canadians returning from short trips abroad to use a test faster and cheaper for the coronavirus.

Health Canada has authorized injections for children aged 5 to 11. And as in the United States, the doses will only be one-third of the amount given to adolescents and adults.

But Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization has suggested that provinces across the country, which administer health care in the country, offer the two doses at least eight weeks apart.

In the United States, children aged 5 to 11 are given two low doses, three weeks apart, the same schedule as everyone else in the United States. has happened, but Canadian officials say delaying a second dose offers better protection.

A longer interval between doses leads to stronger immunity, said Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy public health administrator.

The government agency said the vaccine is 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children and no serious side effects have been identified.

After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, the ministry has determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 outweigh the risks, Health Canada said in a statement.

The agency also said Canadians and permanent residents returning from the United States or other countries after trips of less than 72 hours no longer need to present a negative PCR test upon their return. A rapid antigen test will suffice from November 30.

The PCR test will still be required after longer trips and for fully vaccinated travelers from the United States or other countries, although Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has said officials will provide soon. an update for Americans.

It is very important. I’m glad they’re making it easier, ”said Sandy Pearce, who lives in Fort Erie, Ont., And wants to make it easier to New York State to help her parents, who are 90 years old.

They need help and now I can go for a day trip or even just for a few hours, she said, adding, “It’s also a huge boost for the US economy. , especially for holiday shopping.

Although PCR tests are more sensitive, experts say antigen tests are very effective at detecting infectious levels of the virus, are much cheaper, and do not require a wait that can sometimes extend over several days.

In the United States, the White House said on Wednesday that about 10% of eligible children aged 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine since the United States’ approval for their age group it two weeks ago.

At least 2.6 million children have received an injection, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said on Wednesday, with 1.7 million doses given in the last week alone, roughly double the amount the pace of the first week after approval.

Canada expects an accelerated delivery of 2.9 million child-sized doses, enough for a first injection for every child in the 5 to 11 age group. In a statement on Friday, Pfizer said the vaccines would be shipped to Canada shortly.

Dr Andrew Morris, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at the Sinai-University Health Network, said delaying an eight-week second dose likely means risk of myocarditis weaker and, theoretically, a better immune system. to reinforce. He said there are extremely rare side effects, including myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose.

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