Health Canada is preparing to make a decision on vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in “one or two weeks”, ie before the end of November.
“The study is currently underway and we expect to have a final decision within the next one to two weeks,” said Dr.D Supriya Sharma, who represented Health Canada at a press conference with federal public health authorities on Friday.
Pfizer submitted a request to Health Canada in mid-October to authorize the very first vaccine against COVID-19 available in the country for the youngest. The United States, for its part, gave the green light to this vaccine on October 29. Adolescents 12 years of age or older can be vaccinated since May.
The DD Sharma added that US vaccine maker Novavax has completed its application for licensing in Canada. Health Canada is therefore also studying the possibility of approving this vaccine, with the data from the American vaccine manufacturer Novavax in hand.
More details will follow.
Watch video