.
Canada Has Approved Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 12-15, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The U.S. FDA is expected to approve the Pfizer vaccine for the same age group, kids 12-15, early next week.
Health Canada, Canada's equivalent of the FDA, reviewed the Pfizer study of over 2200 children ages 12-15, where half received the same two dose regimen that adults are given, and half received a placebo. None of the participants who received the Pfizer vaccine developed COVID-19, whereas 18 cases of COVID-19 developed in the group that received the placebo. Vaccine recipients produced strong antibody responses and some reported the same types of temporary side effects as adults–sore arms, fever, aches and fatigue.
To date, about 34% of Canadians have received at least one vaccine does, compared to 44% in the U.S., and only 4% of Canadians have been fully vaccinated because Canada, similar to the UK, is stretching the interval between vaccine doses given the limited doses currently available. Canada expects to be in the position to offer a vaccine to everyone who wants one by September 2021.
Alberta will become Canada's first province to offer COVID-19 vaccines to everyone aged 12 and over from May 10. Alberta currently has the highest per capita incidence of COVID-19 in Canada, with nearly 24,000 active cases.
Canada's border with the U.S. has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, and is expected to remain closed until sometime in the fall of 2021. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that Canadians should expect something akin to Europe's Proposed Vaccine Passport Rules for future international travel.
Do you have a 12-15 year old who will soon be eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?
Recommended Posts
Canadian Airlines: Refund Passengers to Get Government Aid
Review: Fairmont Pacific Rim Vancouver Gold Floor Lounge
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube and TravelSort on Instagram for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits