Canada’s health regulator has authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for ages 12 and older.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, on Wednesday confirmed the decision for the ages to 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life.
The vaccine was previously authorized for anyone 16 or older in Canada.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also is expected to authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for young by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year.
Wednesday''s announcement comes barely a month after the company found that its shot provided protection for the younger group. Preliminary results from that study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15 showing there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with 18 among those given dummy shots.
