Kids across Canada will be able to roll up their sleeves in the next week or so to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Health Canada has given its approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for children aged 5-11.
The plan, based on clinical trials, calls for two doses at least eight weeks apart.
Clinical trials showed the smaller doses are 90.7 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19 in younger children, and no serious side effects were identified.
Canada is expecting an accelerated delivery of 2.9 million doses, enough for every child in the 5-11 age group to get their first dose.
In anticipation of Health Canada’s approval, Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer, Dr. David Colby, said he hoped to be able to start administering shots to kids locally by the end of the month.
The Pfizer vaccine for children was given approval in the US on October 29th, with more than two million doses administered south of the border so far.
