Well being Canada says a choice on whether or not to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine for kids will come “within the subsequent one to 2 weeks,” leaving open the chance that some youngsters may very well be no less than partially protected by Christmas.
Canada’s chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma mentioned in a convention name with reporters Friday that the regulator is “actively persevering with” its evaluation of the Pfizer-BioNtech jab for kids aged 5 to 11, which was licensed to be used in america final week.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer, mentioned the under-12 age group continues to have the best incidence charges of COVID-19 throughout all age teams within the nation.
COVID-19 has usually proven to be delicate in kids for the reason that pandemic started, however some have had critical sickness.
Tam famous an 11 per cent enhance in new COVID-19 instances in Canada this week in comparison with final week, with 2,500 new instances reported day by day.
Greater than 1,800 folks with COVID-19 had been hospitalized, she mentioned, with 528 in intensive care items and a mean of twenty-two deaths reported day by day.
Tam additionally mentioned the nation’s requirement for a destructive COVID-19 take a look at for travellers re-entering Canada was nonetheless beneath evaluation.
Federal Conservative chief Erin O’Toole known as on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take away the “pre-departure PCR testing necessities” for absolutely vaccinated travellers returning over the land border, asking the federal government in a press release Friday to just accept fast antigen take a look at outcomes as a substitute.
Tam mentioned within the information convention that the requirement is for a “molecular take a look at,” which might embody a lab-based PCR or different assessments that may provide outcomes extra rapidly. Well being Canada’s web site says fast antigen assessments usually are not accepted.
Greater than 28 million folks, or 85 per cent of the eligible inhabitants over age 12, at the moment are absolutely vaccinated, Tam mentioned, although “sizable gaps in vaccine protection” stay.
She mentioned that features greater than 5 million eligible individuals who haven’t but acquired a vaccine, and greater than 4.3 million kids beneath the age of 12.
Additionally Friday, Well being Canada permitted the usage of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for booster photographs for adults 18 and older, for use no less than six months after the second shot. The Moderna booster is a half-dose of the common vaccine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Nov. 12, 2021.
