Health Canada is reviewing the first application to approve the COVID-19 vaccine for very young children.
The Moderna vaccine candidate is for children aged six months to five years.
The company said a clinical trial in 6,700 children determined the vaccine was safe and determined that it produced an antibody response similar to that seen in adults.
The single dose for children under six years of age is 25 micrograms, a quarter of the dose given to adults and adolescents, and half the dose used for children 6 to 11 years of age.
Health Canada received Moderna’s request Friday morning; the pharmaceutical made a similar request on Thursday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Clinical trials in children have typically occurred during the Omicron variant wave, and the vaccine has been less effective in preventing infection in children than previous clinical trials in adults.
Source: Radio-Canada
