Canada approves Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for kids

PTI Updated - November 20, 2021 at 12:13 PM.

Doses will be a third of the amount given to teens and adults

FILE PHOTO: A child reacts while receiving a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at Smoketown Family Wellness Center in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Jon Cherry/File Photo

Canada’s health regulator approved Pfizer’s kid-size Covid-19 shot on Friday.

Health Canada authorised the shots for children aged 5 to 11. And as in the US, the doses will be just a third of the amount given to teens and adults.

The government agency said the vaccine is 90.7 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 in children and no serious side effects were identified.

“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,” Health Canada said in a statement.

Also see: Vaccine for kids unlikely this year as govt seeks more data

In the US, the White House said on Wednesday that about 10 per cent of eligible children aged 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine since the US approval for their age group two weeks ago.

Published on November 20, 2021 06:43