On Friday, the Canadian federal government through Health Canada gave the green light to two vaccine options from Moderna and Pfizer to be administered to youngsters and teenagers between 12 and 17 years old.
According to a tweet from the governmental department that oversees national health policy, the approval of the said vaccines involved a “thorough and independent scientific review” to ensure their safety and efficiency.
On a related note, Moderna has asked Health Canada to approve its COVID-19 vaccine designed for the younger age group starting June this year,
The American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, said in a recent press conference that they are also looking for the approval of their vaccine designed for younger children from 6 to 12 years old.
Additionally, Bancel added that they are conducting ongoing studies on formulating a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe and effective when administered to very young kids between 6 months to 5 years of age.
On August 10, the Canadian government announced its partnership with Moderna to establish a domestic vaccine production facility that is slated to be completely operational three years from now.
While Pharmaceutical companies that were granted vaccine approval celebrate their success, many concerned parents want to get their voices heard. Not everyone is on board with the approval, as it is still not clear what long-term effects would be on children’s health.
“Why do we need to vaccinate our children with an experimental vaccine if the data clearly shows that children have an extremely low rate of infection?”
