Canada to Authorize Use of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine on Children -- Source

By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Canada is expected on Friday to authorize emergency use of the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on children aged five to 11, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The government has scheduled a media briefing for Friday morning to discuss an update on Covid-19 vaccines. Pfizer-BioNTech filed a submission last month seeking authorization to administer its vaccine on children aged five to 11.

A spokeswoman for Pfizer declined comment. The Toronto Star and Canadian Broadcasting Corp. earlier reported that authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech's pediatric doses was imminent.

Late last month, the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children five to 11 years of age. According to the FDA, children will be given two shots three weeks apart, the same schedule as adults and adolescents, although each shot will contain one-third of the dosage.

Israel this week also authorized use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on children. Children as young as three are being vaccinated in countries such as Colombia, Argentina and China.

After Pfizer filed its application to Canadian authorities, the Liberal government said it had secured a deal with the company, pending regulatory approval, to ensure accelerated deliveries of roughly three million pediatric doses, or enough to give every child in the age range a first shot.

Among major industrialized countries, Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates, with roughly 75% of the population fully vaccinated, compared with 57% for the U.S., according to the University of Oxford's Our World in Data. Among Canadians eligible for vaccination, which is 12 years of age or older, the share fully vaccinated stands at 85%, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Write to Paul Vieira at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 18, 2021 16:25 ET (21:25 GMT)

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