Pfizer Canada eyeing urgent COVID-19 vaccine approval for children aged 5 to 11 – National
Pfizer Canada says it plans to supply Well being Canada with information displaying its COVID-19 vaccine works for youngsters in a bid to hunt authorization “as early as attainable.”
Pfizer stated Monday its analysis reveals its product works for youngsters aged 5 to 11 and that it’s going to additionally search U.S. authorization for this age group quickly – a key step towards defending schoolchildren from the novel coronavirus.
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COVID-19 vaccine efficient in kids ages 5 to 11, Pfizer says
Christina Antoniou, the corporate’s director of company affairs in Canada, says they “share the urgency” to supply information that would result in a shot for younger youngsters.
She couldn’t say when that data could be submitted, however notes Pfizer has been sending new vaccine information to Well being Canada because it turns into out there.
Pfizer’s newest findings haven’t been peer-reviewed, nor revealed.
Well being Canada says a number of research on kids are underway by numerous COVID-19 vaccine makers, and that it “anticipates vaccine producers to supply information in kids within the coming months.”
Well being Canada provides that no submission has been obtained but for the approval of any COVID-19 vaccine in kids youthful than 12 years previous.
The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German accomplice BioNTech is already out there for anybody aged 12 and older.
Pfizer studied a decrease dose of its two-dose vaccine in additional than 2,200 kindergartners and elementary school-aged youngsters, principally in the US and Europe. It says the youngsters developed coronavirus-fighting antibody ranges simply as robust as these detected in youngsters and younger adults.
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Moderna can be testing its photographs in elementary school-aged kids, and each Pfizer and Moderna are finding out COVID-19 vaccines for these as younger as six months previous. Outcomes are anticipated later within the yr.
Medical officers referred to as the outcomes of Pfizer’s trial with youngsters “encouraging” however cautioned towards anticipating an excessive amount of too quickly.
The medical lead with Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine implementation workforce stated it was too early to know what the findings may imply for youths beneath the age of 12 within the province.
“Right now, we don’t even know the extent of how effectively it protects, what variety of uncomfortable side effects they noticed. We’re very early within the planning,” stated Dr. Joss Reimer.
Nevertheless, Reimer stated the workforce has began planning within the occasion Well being Canada approves the Pfizer vaccine for youngsters.
She stated this may occasionally embody offering doses in colleges or having different clinics in place for youth.
A spokeswoman for Ontario’s well being ministry stated the province is “monitoring the proof.”
“Working with our public well being and well being system companions we can be able to administer doses to kids aged 5 to 11 as quickly as they’re authorized by Well being Canada,” stated Alexandra Hilkene.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.
— With information from Laura Osman in Ottawa, Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg, John Chidley-Hill in Toronto, and the Related Press
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