About 1.7 million young children will be vaccinated against the disease, just like their adults. As with other vaccines, provinces and territories will dictate when and how it is offered.
” After a rigorous and independent scientific review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the benefits of this vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years of age outweigh the risks. »
The two doses for children aged six months to five years are 25 micrograms each, a quarter of the amount given to 12-year-olds and older, or 6-11-year-olds, the ministry said.
Health Canada authorizes the use of these two doses four weeks apart, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) instead recommends they be spaced eight weeks apart. The final decision in this regard also rests with the provinces.
The Quebec health ministry did not immediately want to comment on the vaccination of children. He says he wants to wait for a recommendation from experts from the Quebec Immunization Committee, but promises the network can adapt quickly, especially since doses are already available.
The NACI And given the weak immune response to the vaccine, it recommends giving three doses of the vaccine to moderately or severely immunocompromised children, with an interval of four to eight weeks between each dose.
For children affected by COVID-19, the NACI It recommends waiting eight weeks after the onset of symptoms or a positive screening test result (or four weeks for immunocompromised children) before receiving a dose of the vaccine.
The committee further recommends that children who have received another vaccine wait at least 14 days before receiving their COVID-19 vaccine; If a side effect occurs, this will help determine which of the two vaccines is in question.
A Important moment
Epidemic
In a press conference, Dr. Marc Berthiaume, director of the Office of Clinical Sciences at Health Canada, indicated that approval of the vaccine was imminent. At a critical time in the epidemic, we are at the beginning of the seventh wave
.
He also clarified that the clinical trials that led to the vaccine’s approval took place when the Omicron variant was more prevalent in Canada and the United States.
” In clinical trials, the immune response to the SpikeVax vaccine in children aged six months to five years was similar to that seen in 18 to 25 year olds. […] The vaccine was well tolerated, and no unexpected side effects were noted. »
The most frequently reported adverse reactions include irritability or crying, pain at the injection site, drowsiness, loss of appetite, and fatigue.
, he added. They were Usually mild to moderate in severity
disappeared In a few days
And No serious adverse reactions were reported
.
As with all licensed COVID-19 vaccines, Health Canada has imposed conditions on the manufacturer that require them to closely monitor any new safety issues, including cases of heart attack and pericarditis.
Dr. Perthiaume repeated.
The director of the Bureau of Clinical Sciences at Health Canada acknowledged the young children Less likely to develop complications from COVID-19
But pointed out that they can still be Very sick
And the virus spreads.
” A growing body of data shows that children infected with COVID-19, regardless of disease severity, can develop chronic COVID-19 and, in rare cases, develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. [aussi connu sous le nom de maladie de Kamasaki, NDLR]associated with a significantly higher risk of hospitalization. »
A Also weapon
For parents
This is good news as it gives us one more weapon in the fight against Covid-19
ICI RTI spoke to Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease and clinical microbiologist at Montreal Children’s Hospital.
” I think this is an interesting option for many families who want one more way to protect their children against COVID-19, especially those under the age of 5 who may not yet have access to the vaccine. »
We know that during the Omicron wave, children under the age of five were actually the most hospitalized children.
he added. The number of children hospitalized during the Omicron wave was actually higher than during the total epidemic.
According to Dr Papenburg, the development of the vaccine program for children between six months and five years of age took longer than for other age groups because researchers wanted to find the smallest dose capable of eliciting an immune response.
When we give smaller doses, we often experience fewer side effects.
The expert continues. We know that young children can often respond very strongly to small doses of antigenic stimulation. That is why it is possible to give small children a quarter of the adult dose.
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer last month submitted a request to Health Canada for the approval of a vaccine against COVID-19 for children aged six months to five years. The data is still under review.
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines Cleared by the United States Medicines Agency Last month for children aged six months to five years.
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