The Canadian Department of Health announced on Wednesday that it was authorizing the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech anti-Covid vaccine for adolescents as young as 12, with Canada becoming the first country to approve it from that age.
Read also: Canada: Johnson & Johnson's vaccine recommended only to over 30s
“
The authorization of a first vaccine in Canada for the prevention of Covid-19 in children marks an important step in Canada's fight against the pandemic,
” said Dr. Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor at Health Canada . "
We are the first in the world to authorize the Pfizer (vaccine) for 12-15 year olds,
" she said at a press conference, adding that the United Kingdom and the European Union were also examining in at this time the same data that Canada used to make its decision. A decision by the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) on the extension of the Pfizer vaccine to this same age group is also expected in the coming days.Canada based its decision on "
new data collected
"After a large phase 3 clinical trial in the United States, expanded to more than 2000 participants aged 12 to 15 years, said Health Canada.
"
The data from the clinical trial showed that after the second dose, the prevention effectiveness of Covid-19 in this younger age group was 100%
", compared to more than 90% in adults, assured the ministry.
A profile "similar" to that of the elderly
The safety profile of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine in 12 to 15 year olds is "
similar
" to that seen in older people, that is, the most commonly reported side effects were "
temporary and mild. , such as arm pain, chills and fever,
”according to Health Canada. Health Canada therefore concluded that the vaccine was "
safe and effective
" in preventing Covid-19 in adolescents as young as 12 years old. Pfizer-BioNTech filed its request to extend the vaccination age to the Canadian government on April 16. Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers licensed in Canada "are
conducting or planning to conduct studies in adolescents and children, including children 6 months to 11 years of age
», Indicates the ministry.
"
An accelerated review
" of these studies will be done by the Canadian ministry as soon as it receives requests from the laboratories, specifies Health Canada.
Read also: Covid-19: Canada approves Moderna's vaccine
Canada has approved four anti-Covid vaccines to date: those from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
Canada had more than 1.2 million cases of coronavirus on Wednesday since the start of the pandemic, and more than 24,000 deaths.
About 35% of the 38 million Canadians received a first dose of the vaccine.
Since the start of the pandemic, around 20% of Covid-19 cases in Canada have been detected in people under the age of 19, said Dr Sharma.
“
The vaccination will support the return to a more normal life for our children, who have had to go through a difficult period in the past year,
” she says. In addition, two new deaths have been reported in Canada in the past 24 hours in connection with the AstraZeneca vaccine, bringing the total number in this country to three. This vaccine and that of Johnson & Johnson have caused rare but serious blood clots around the world among the millions of people in whom they have been administered.
