Health Canada has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use on children aged 5-11.
The announcement marks elementary school children will now be able to be immunized from the virus which was previously only for use on kids aged 12 and up.
The vaccine use will be the same as the rest, requiring two doses split 21 days apart though the volume administered is lower.
“The dose of MRNA is smaller at 10 micrograms (MCG) rather than 30MCG” said Dr. Shapira Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor of Health Canada.
Pfizer’s clinical trial showed the vaccine had a 91 per cent efficiency against COVID-19 in the age group.
Provinces and local health units have prepared for the last week on how to properly distribute the vaccine.
For Ontario, children will likely be vaccinated at school though details on if it would be during or after school hours is still unclear.