Health Canada approves first COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5

Health Canada has approved Moderna‘s COVID-19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers, making the vaccine the first of its kind approved for that age group in the country.

Health Canada now says the Moderna vaccine can be given to young children between the ages of six months and five years old in doses one-quarter the size of that approved for adults.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is expected to provide advice on its use later today.

Globalnews.ca will live-stream the announcement, which is set for 12 p.m. EDT.

The approval expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to nearly two million children in Canada, though the availability of the vaccine will be determined by provinces.

The vaccine requires two dose given about four weeks apart.

In late April, Moderna asked Health Canada to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as six months old, a day after requesting U.S. regulators do the same.

Now approved, it’s the first COVID-19 vaccine for children under five in Canada — an age group that has remained ineligible for inoculation since the vaccine rollout began in late 2020.

Moderna’s vaccine for children in that age group was approved in the United States last month.

The company said a trial of 6,700 children showed the vaccine was safe and produced a similar antibody response seen in adults. A single dose for children under six is 25 micrograms – about one quarter of the size given to adults and teens, and half the size used for kids ages six to 11.

Moderna said its vaccine was 51 per cent effective at preventing symptoms in children six months to two years old, and 37 per cent effective against symptoms in children two to five years old. Its application calls for the vaccine to be given in two doses, and four weeks apart.

Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for young children between six-months and five-years old was submitted to Health Canada last month and is still under review.

— with files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea

by The Canadian Press