Canadian children with compromised immune systems should be given three doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in order to get the best possible protection against the virus, the country’s vaccine advisory council says.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has issued updated guidance on best use of the vaccine in children between the ages of five and 11 years old on Tuesday. The group of scientists said while the number of children who experience severe outcomes from COVID-19 remains low, that number is increasing because of the significant growth in the number of people being infected by the Omicron variant.
In a summary of their new guidance, NACI recommended that children between five and 11 years old who are “moderately to severely immunocompromised” should be offered three doses of the Pfizer 10 mcg COVID-19 vaccine as a primary series.
The doses should be given between four and eight weeks apart.
For children in that group who have already received two doses, NACI now recommends they be offered a third dose between four to eight weeks after receiving their second dose.
The pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine are smaller than the doses given to adults.
Each pediatric dose contains 10 mcg whereas the adult doses contain 30 mcg.
More to come.