Canada first in the world to clear Pfizer’s vaccine for adolescents

TORONTO: Canadian health officials said on Wednesday they have become the first to approve Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for ages as young as 12. Dr Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, confirmed the decision for ages 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life. Canada is the first country to authorise Pfizer for that age group. The US and the European Union are also reviewing it. The vaccine was previously authorised for anyone 16 or older. Pfizer in late March released preliminary results from a vaccine study of 2,260 US volunteers ages 12 to 15 showing there were no cases of Covid-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with 18 among those given dummy shots.

The US Food and Drug Administration is also expected to authorise Pfizer’s vaccine for young people by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. Sharma said while most kids don’t experience serious illness, a vaccine also helps protect their friends and family.