Canada authorizes first COVID-19 vaccine for kids – CTV
November 19, 2021
OTTAWA — Health Canada has authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine for children, giving the regulatory green light to Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine.
Children ages five to 11 are now eligible to receive this vaccine, in a smaller dosage than has been offered to those ages 12 and above.
The pediatric doses that will be offered to younger children will be one-third of what has been offered to those ages 12 and above.
While Health Canada has approved the doses to be given 21 days apart, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is recommending a dosing interval of eight weeks or more between the first and second dose.
Further, NACI is recommending that children wait at least 14 days before or after receiving another vaccine before getting a COVID-19 vaccine, calling it a “precaution” being suggested to help determine whether side-effects that may arise are due to one immunization or the other, unless otherwise advised by a doctor.
