THUNDER BAY – Children under five years old will soon have access to vaccination against COVID-19, after Health Canada announced Thursday it had approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children.
That makes a group of nearly two million children in Canada newly eligible for the vaccine.
The vaccine is approved for children between the ages of six months and five years old, in doses one-quarter the size of those received by adults.
The Moderna vaccine involves two doses, with an interval of around four weeks.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is expected to provide advice on usage of the vaccine later Thursday.
Thunder Bay’s medical officer of health, Dr. Janet DeMille, has called the pending approval of children’s vaccines an important step in the fight against COVID-19, but acknowledged vaccines for younger children may face more hesitancy from parents.
“We do know with the younger age group, there is sometimes a little more hesitancy, people potentially questioning how beneficial is it? Is my child that much at risk of COVID? And also understanding what the risks might be. It’s important we provide the facts to parents so they can make that decision,” she said in an interview last week.
Pfizer’s children’s vaccine for the same age group was submitted to Health Canada for approval in June. The agency has not yet made an announcement on its approval.
