Canada on Wednesday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children aged 12 years and up, becoming the first nation to do so. “This is the first vaccine authorized in Canada for the prevention of Covid-19 in children and marks a significant milestone in Canada’s fight against the pandemic,” Health Canada chief medical advisor Supriya Sharma told a news conference.
Data from clinical trials show the vaccine is as safe for adolescents as it is for adults, she said. Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and produced robust antibody responses in 12- to 15-year old’s. The company says that vaccinations for American kids in this age group could begin before the next school year. Another reason to vaccinate kids is to prevent them from spreading the disease. Although it’s not proven yet that the vaccine reduces people’s chances of transmitting the disease, scientists think that it will, and are hoping that will be borne out in further research.
