Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Howard Njoo during a news conference in Ottawa, on Jan. 14.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Federal officials say regulators should reach a decision about whether to approve Canada’s first COVID-19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers in coming weeks as the U.S. prepares to roll out tot-sized shots.
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Howard Njoo told a news conference this morning that Health Canada continues to review Moderna’s application for a vaccine to protect children between six months and five years old.
Today, U.S. regulators authorized Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccines for the youngest kids, setting the stage for doses to be doled out next week.
Canada has yet to authorize a vaccine for kids under five, and Moderna’s shot is the only one that’s been submitted for regulatory review.
A Pfizer Canada spokeswoman says in an email that the company is making progress on its submission, but couldn’t provide a timeline on when it would be filed.
Moderna’s vaccine is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids under six.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2022.
With files from The Associated Press.
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