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The Canadian Ministry of Health allows the Pfizer booster to be approved for children aged 5-11 years.

The Canadian Ministry of Health allows the Pfizer booster to be approved for children aged 5-11 years.

By عبد السلام

Published: August 20, 2022

Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam announced that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is licensed for use as a booster for children aged 5-11.

Tam said that Health Canada has authorized 10 microgram booster doses for children and that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has issued guidelines on their use.

This is the first booster dose approved for children aged 5-11, with Moderna licensed for only two doses of its vaccine for this age group.

NACI says children with underlying medical conditions or who are immunocompromised, and thus at risk of more severe outcomes from the virus, should be given a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose at least six months after the second vaccination.

Tam said: "This booster dose provides a great option to restore protection for this age group, especially for those at risk of severe illness."

Tam said all other children in the 5-11 age group may also be offered a booster dose starting six months after the second vaccination, adding that the risk of severe outcomes for them is "generally rare."

She added: "I would remind parents that severe medical conditions in this age group should be rare." "So I think giving people the choice and providing parents and children with information about the effectiveness of the vaccine and the importance of the booster can help them make this choice."

The vaccination rate for children aged 5-11 is the lowest of any other group – with about 42 percent having completed their initial two-dose series – compared to over 99 percent for the over-80 age group, and at least 83 percent for every other group over 12 years.

This announcement comes as Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo provided updates on both COVID-19 and monkeypox cases in Canada.

Tam said that while many regions appear to have passed the recent peak in COVID-19 cases, with weekly cases decreasing, there are some exceptions.

And vaccine updates are a "top priority" in preparation for potential future waves in the fall, as students return to school and people return to work after summer vacations.

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