Vaccines for children under 12 could come with the return to school
Windsor-Essex students will return to class in less than six weeks and efforts are going strong to get as many students vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Ontario’s top doctor confirmed Wednesday the province is already working on a plan to administer the vaccines to children, if and when they are approved for that age group.
“We know that the trials are finishing up, that they’ll have the results to decision-makers for in the US and Canada in the early fall, and that’s a potential licensure under the emergency use agreement for late fall, early winter,” says Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario chief medical officer of health.
Both Pfizer and Moderna started testing their COVID-19 vaccines in children aged six months to 11 years back in March, and Moderna announced Tuesday it plans to expand the size of those trials.
Patricia Gauthier from Moderna Canada says the good news is that the kids COVID-19 study will have sites in Canada, so there will be Canadian children included in this study.
The results from both studies are expected to be published at the end of the summer, or in the early fall.
Health Canada tells CTV News, “the Department is open to reviewing manufacturers’ submissions and will only issue a decision following a thorough scientific review of the vaccine’s safety and efficacy in this younger age group.”
Experts say vaccinating kids could also help achieve herd immunity more broadly since the Delta variant could require as much as 90 per cent of the population to be vaccinated to stop the spread.
Although kids under 12 will likely return to class in September without access to COVID-19 vaccines, that protection could come within just a few months of the start of school.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.