May 5, 2021
It will also support the return to a more normal life for our children, who have had such a hard time over the past year.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, on the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for Canadian children 12 to 15 years old, the first country to do so.
- The FDA is expected to authorize the vaccine for ages 12 to 15 in the U.S. by next week (it’s currently approved for 16+).
- In late March, Pfizer published the preliminary results of its vaccine study involving 2,260 American volunteers in this age group: researchers reported zero cases of COVID-19 among those who were fully vaccinated. 18 cases were identified in the placebo group.
- Side effects reported in adolescents include pain, fever, chills, and fatigue (usually after the second dose), similar to young adults.
- What’s next? President Biden announced states and federal pharmacies are “ready to move immediately” after FDA authorization, adding the shots will also be distributed to family doctors and pediatricians. Moderna and Pfizer are currently conducting COVID-19 vaccine trials on children as young as six months old.
- Why It Matters: While the virus rarely has dire consequences for children based on recent studies, some experts believe the key to reducing transmission of COVID-19 to more vulnerable groups includes vaccinating children.
Sources: Associated Press article
CNN Health Article on states gearing up to vaccinate 12 to 15 year olds
ABC News article on Pfizer and Moderna trials in young children
by Jenna Lee,
