Canada approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 5-11, calling it a milestone. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination for children has now been approved for use in the country. The decision follows the submission of an application by a few companies requesting a clinical trial for thousands of children in this age bracket.
It was subsequently established that the vaccination had the same efficacy rate as trials in people aged 16 to 25. “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,” says an official statement from Health Canada. The vaccine is to be 90% effective in preventing the fatal coronavirus. Furthermore, no major adverse effects were observed.
Pfizer will begin supplying the vaccine to the US government later this year
“To date, Health Canada has not identified any new safety issues for 5-11-year-olds compared to the known safety profile in adolescents and young adults. Safety data will be continually monitored,” Health Canada wrote on Twitter. Canada approved the same vaccine for youngsters aged 12 and up earlier this year. According to Health Canada data, approximately 75% of all Canadians are complete with vaccination. It includes 84% of those aged 12 and up.
Not only Canada but also Israel and the United States, have approved Pfizer-vaccination BioNTech’s for children. China, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, and Colombia have also begun to vaccinate children under the age of 12. They are, however, employing Chinese vaccines. Meanwhile, the pharma behemoth has agreed to sell the US government 10 million COVID-19 therapy courses for USD 5.3 billion. It stated that regulatory approval for the arrangement was pending. Pfizer will begin supplying the vaccine to the US government later this year. It will continue to do so until the end of 2022.