Canada approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer-BioNTech for children of age 12 and above, becoming the first country to do so. “This is the first vaccine authorised in Canada for the prevention of COVID-19 in children and marks a significant milestone in Canada’s fight against the pandemic”, told Health Canada Chief medical supervisor Supriya Sharma, reported AFP.

“We are (also) the first in the world to authorize Pfizer for ages 12 to 15”, said Sharma while adding that Britain and the European Union are expected to follow soon after reviewing testing results submitted by the manufacturer, reported AFP.

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The United States will also approve the COVID vaccine for those aged 12-15 years as early as next week, reported AFP.

Data from a clinical trial in the US, which involved more than 2,000 youths who were given two doses of the vaccine, showed that it is as safe for adolescents as it is for adults, said Sharma. 

There were no cases of COVID-19 recorded among the vaccinated children, according to a Health Canada statement. In adults, the Pfizer shot has been shown to be at least 90% effective in preventing infection.

The most common reported side effects such as a sore arm, chills, or fever were also found to be similar to those in older ages.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized in December for use in Canadians 16 and older. Other manufacturers of the four vaccines authorised in Canada,  AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, are conducting or planning their own studies in children as young as six months old. Sharma said that Health Canada would expedite reviews of those results.

Since the start of the pandemic, about 20% of all COVID-19 cases in Canada were recorded in people under the age of 19.