Health Canada Is One Step Closer To Approving A COVID-19 Vaccine For Some Kids Under 11
It's the first submission for this age group, Health Canada said!
Officials at Health Canada have announced that they're one step closer to approving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for one group of people who still can't get vaccinated: children aged 5 to 11.
In a statement published on October 18, the agency announced that the vaccine manufacturer had submitted an application for their vaccine (named "Comirnaty") to be available for a younger age group.
Health Canada has received a submission from Pfizer-BioNTech to authorize the use of its Comirnaty #CovidVaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age. https://ow.ly/k20p50Gtty1\u00a0 #COVID19— Health Canada and PHAC (@Health Canada and PHAC) 1634590808
"This is the first submission Health Canada has received for the use of a COVID-19 vaccine in this younger age group," the agency said in a statement.
"[We] will only authorize the use of Comirnaty if the independent and thorough scientific review of all the data included in the submission showed that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the potential risks in this age group," Health Canada added.
No timeline is available for when the vaccine might be approved and available for use in kids aged 5 to 11. However, B.C. is already preparing for the possibility and allowing parents to pre-register their children.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.