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Children’s COVID Vaccines Arriving Soon

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A COVID-19 vaccine for young children should be available in the next couple of weeks.

That’s according to the Northwestern Health Unit.

Last week, Health Canada approved a Moderna vaccine for children from 6 months to 5 years old.

The Ministry of Health in Ontario is currently developing guidelines for use in the province and will be shipping the vaccines out to Health Units once the process is completed.

The Health Unit says it will notify the public when the vaccines are available.

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Another COVID Vaccine Approved For Younger Kids

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Health Canada has approved the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in children aged six to 11.

Kids will receive two doses just like those 12 and older, but the dosage amounts will be cut in half.

The health agency says no serious adverse effects were observed during the clinical trial.

“The clinical trial showed that the immune response in children 6 to 11 years of age was comparable to the immune response in people 18 to 25 years of age, supporting the vaccine efficacy in this younger age group,” Health Canada said in a news release.

This is the second COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Canada for use in this younger age group.

Health Canada approved Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine in November.

Guidelines from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) say Moderna can be offered as an alternative, but the Pfizer vaccine is preferred for children aged six to 11.

NACI said while the rare risk of heart inflammation associated with the Moderna vaccine is unknown in the younger age group, it was higher for adolescents and young adults than with the Pfizer vaccine.

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Pfizer, Moderna Receive Full Health Canada Approval

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Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been granted full approval for anyone 12 years of age or older.

Pfizer was the first shot to be authorized in Canada on December 9, 2020, after clinical data showed it did in fact protect against COVID-19.

With this approval comes a renaming of both the vaccines, though they will still have the same formulation and be considered interchangeable by Health Canada.

Pfizer will now be referred to as Comirnaty and Moderna will be called Spikevax.

“Based on the longer-term follow-up data that we submitted, today’s decision by Health Canada affirms the efficacy and safety profile of our vaccine at a time when it is urgently needed,” said Fabien Paquette, Pfizer Canada’s Vaccine Lead. “While a significant number of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated, there is still much work to be done as infection and hospitalization rates continue to rise across the country, primarily among unvaccinated populations.”

BioNTech has shipped more than 1.4-billion vaccines worldwide.

84.1 per cent of the Canadian population 12 and up have received at last one dose of Health Canada approved vaccine.

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Pfizer Doses Delayed, 318 New Ont. Cases

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Anyone hoping to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may have to choose Moderna instead.

Several health units in Southern Ontario have announced they’ll be using only Moderna doses this week because a shipment of more than 162,000 Pfizer doses has been delayed by two to three days.

In an update to Acadia News Sunday, The Thunder Bay District Health Unit confirmed that they are analyzing the supply and expect to provide an update on Monday.

The email went onto say that Southern Ontario health units usually receive Pfizer on Monday mornings whereas the Thunder Bay unit is delayed until Tuesday.

Health officials have emphasized the two vaccines are interchangeable, and that mixing doses is safe.

Ontario’s COVID-19 numbers are still trending downward with 318 new positive tests.

Most of Ontario’s variant cases are the Alpha strain, however federal officials say the Delta variant is increasing in some areas.

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NACI Offers New Advice For 2nd AstraZeneca Shots

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A key federal advisory committee is no longer recommending that Canadians receive a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) previously said that people who received a first dose of AstraZeneca could get it as their second or could choose an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer or Moderna.

But new guidance released Thursday said the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is “now preferred” for the second dose.

“This change is based on emerging evidence indicating a potentially better immune response from this mixed vaccine schedule and to mitigate the potential risk of VITT associated with viral vector vaccines,” Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said in a news conference.

VITT is a rare blood clot that has occurred in some people who received the AstraZeneca shot.

NACI also recommended that an mRNA vaccine is preferred as a first dose unless one is inaccessible or there is a contraindication, for example, an allergy to an mRNA vaccine or its components.

“I wish to emphasize that people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine can rest assured that the vaccine they received provides good protection against infection and very good protection against severe disease and hospitalization,” said Tam.

NACI is now also recommending that people who received Pfizer or Moderna as their first dose should be offered the same vaccine for their second.

Tam said if the same vaccine is not readily available, the mRNA vaccines are considered “interchangeable,” meaning a person can be offered another mRNA vaccine instead.

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Ontario Shortens AstraZeneca Second Dose Interval

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The province moves to shorten the interval between the second dose for those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

You now have the option to choose AstraZeneca again or take the Pfizer of Moderna vaccine in as little as eight weeks.

Health officials, in a statement Saturday, indicated that while waiting 12 weeks will help to provide more protection, some may choose to receive their second dose sooner to have the increased protection provided by a second dose earlier.

Starting Monday, June 14, at 8:00 a.m. you can book your second dose through the provincial booking system, or through the Thunder Bay District Health Unit or Northwestern Health Unit.

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NWHU Responds To Vaccine Announcement

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Being able to mix COVID-19 vaccines gives the Northwestern Health Unit more flexibility.

Medical Officer of Health Doctor Kit Young Hoon says that’s especially good for those who had AstraZeneca for their first dose.

“Because of the concerns related to the vaccine-induced blood clots,” says Doctor Young Hoon, “clients are given the option of considering a different vaccine for their second dose.”

She explains that just because they can doesn’t mean that they will.

“We would be aiming to provide the same vaccine (they got for their first dose) if it is available (and) at this time, both Pfizer and Moderna are available in the region.”

Doctor Young Hoon adds that should supply issues arise it’s nice to know they have the option to mix vaccines.

“We now know that the option is there. Because both (Pfizer and Moderna) are mRNA vaccines, it makes them interchangeable if we need to use the other one.”

To date, the Northwestern Health Unit has administered 55,564 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

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Canadians Can Safely Mix COVID-19 Vaccines: NACI

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Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunizations says it’s safe for Canadians to mix COVID-19 vaccine types.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, announced Tuesday anyone with their first dose of AstraZeneca can receive an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, for their second dose.

Those who received a first dose of a mRNA vaccine are advised to get a second dose of the same type, but if they are unavailable when it comes time for the second shot Tam said Pfizer and Moderna can be ‘considered interchangeable.’

“The interchangeability of vaccines means you can receive one vaccine product for your first dose, and safely receive a different vaccine for your second dose to complete your two-dose vaccine series for optimal protection from COVID-19,” Tam said.

As provinces reach the threshold of offering first doses to all Canadians aged 12 and older, Tam says it’s now important to turn our attention toward getting second doses into the arms of the most vulnerable residents.

“The committee recommended last week that second doses be offered as soon as possible. NACI recommends that priority for second doses should be given to those at highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 disease after or at the same time as first doses are offered to all remaining eligible populations,” Tam said in a press briefing.

The announcement follows studies and clinical trials into vaccine interchangeability in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Updated guidance from NACI says those studies show following a dose of AstraZeneca with a mRNA vaccine provides an immune response boost, though there is a possibility of increased short-term side effects, including headache, fatigue and general illness.

Studies have also shown that while the risk of VITT or blood clots caused by vaccines appears to be lower from a second dose, the rate has increased over time. NACI says the second dose of AstraZeneca appears to trigger VITT in 1 out of every 600,000 people who received the shot.

NACI also says so long as Canadians receive two doses of any of the three currently-approved COVID-19 vaccines that individual should be considered to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19.

Individual provincial governments will now have to consider NACI’s guidance and determine whether they will offer residents the opportunity to mix vaccine types for their second doses.

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A Promise To Get More Canadians Vaccinated For COVID-19

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The federal government promises as many as 14.5 million Canadians will receive the COVID-19 vaccine by June.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his address Friday, indicated the updated vaccine timeline indicates there is the capability to promise the large numbers of vaccinations:

  • A shipment of over 400,000 doses of COVID vaccine arrived in Canada on Wednesday
  • Next week another shipment of nearly 500,000 will be in the country
  • Canada is set to receive six million doses of both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March
  • 84 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to Canada by September

“We have shared an updated vaccine delivery schedule with the provinces and territories so that they’re ready to roll out almost a million and a half doses over the next three weeks,” says Prime Minister Trudeau.

The Prime Minister also announced the extension of COVID-19 emergency benefits including:

  • A 12 week continuation of the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (38 weeks total)
  • Employment Insurance will now be available for 50 weeks
  • The $500-per-week Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit will be offered for up to four weeks of missed work
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Canada Secures More COVID-19 Vaccines

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The federal government has secured millions of more doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Canadians, the prime minister announced Tuesday.

Justin Trudeau said they have reached a deal with Pfizer to buy an additional 20 million doses of their vaccine.

That is on top of the 20 million doses Canada has already secured through the pharmaceutical corporation.

“From our agreements with Moderna and Pfizer alone, we will now have 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines arriving this year,” Trudeau told reporters.

Trudeau said they are on track to have every Canadian who wants a vaccine receive one by September.

Meanwhile, the federal government has released a forecasted vaccine delivery schedule for provinces and territories through the end of February.

“This will make sure that they have the vaccines and the information they need to keep rolling out doses as quickly, as smoothly, and as efficiently as possible,” said Trudeau.

More than 2.7 million doses are expected to be distributed across the country over the next seven weeks, with distribution ramping up in February.

Ontario is expected to receive more than 1 million doses while Manitoba will get more than 101,000 doses.

New Brunswick is expected to get nearly 55,000 doses while Nova Scotia will receive more than 71,000 doses.

As of Jan. 7, nearly 550,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed across the country.

Trudeau says the federal government will continue to work to get more vaccines delivered as soon as possible.

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