Health Canada approves use of Moderna vaccine for children as young as 12

Health Canada announced Friday it has authorized the Moderna vaccine for children as young as 12 to help in the fight against COVID-19.

This is the second vaccine available in Canada to children 12 to 17 years old. Pfizer received regulatory approval for use in children as young as 12 in May of this year.

The decision comes just weeks before children across the province go in-class learning. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on public health. The availability of safe and effective vaccines helps reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19 disease and reduce its social and economic consequences," the federal health agency said,

The agency reports that a total of 3,732 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 were enrolled in the study and randomly received either two doses of the vaccine or placebo 28 days apart.

Participants with known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were excluded from the study. All participants will be followed for the assessment of safety, efficacy and immunogenicity for up to 1 year after Dose 2 of the vaccination," the agency reported.

Health Canada says that the most common adverse reactions for the group that received the vaccine was pain or swelling at the injection site, fatigue and headaches, and that reactions, if any, typically lasted one to three days.

The vaccine efficacy demonstrated in adolescents 12 to 17 years of age is consistent with the VE previously demonstrated in the adult population," the health agency concluded.

Ivy Mak is a team editor on the Star's breaking news desk, based in Toronto. Reach her via email: ivymak@thestar.ca