Health Canada has authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for children between five and 11 years of age.
This is the first bivalent COVID-19 booster approved for use in this age group that targets the original COVID-19 variant and the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants, Health Canada said in a statement released Friday.
“After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty Omicron BA.4/BA.5 bivalent-adapted booster vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age is safe and effective and that its benefits outweigh any potential risks,” the agency said.
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Health Canada previously authorized this bivalent shot in early October for individuals aged 12 and older.
“While the formulation for children 5 to 11 years of age is the same, the dose is one-third of that authorized for individuals 12 years of age and older,” the agency said.
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Booster shots are designed to help people maintain their immunity over time. Health Canada notes that evidence continues to show that all mRNA COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in Canada provide protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
In a statement released on Friday, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) said COVID-19 cases in Canada have increased in the summer months, and again in the fall.
“Consistent with other respiratory viruses, it is possible that the incidence of COVID-19 may again increase in the colder months and that new variants of concern (VOCs) may emerge,” NACI said.
According to NACI, the “proportion of Canadian children 5 to 11 years of age vaccinated with a primary series is roughly 40 per cent; however, only five per cent of children in this age group have received at least one booster dose.”
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