Will COVID-19 vaccines be approved for kids under 12 before school starts?
WINNIPEG -- Manitobas chief provincial public health officer said he doesnt think COVID-19 vaccines will be approved for kids under the age of 12 before school starts back up in September. At a news conference on Monday. Dr. Brent Roussin said there are currently ongoing trials to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccines on children under 12. He said these trials will need to be completed and companies will need to submit their findings to regulators before vaccines will be approved for the age group. Roussin noted he doesnt think this will all happen before school starts, saying the timing depends on how quickly things get done. As far as a time frame, I dont think well be seeing that prior to going to school, he said. But it all depends on the results of the studies, how quickly they can be done and how quickly the submissions can be reviewed. So theres work being done, but its hard to know when well be able to move on that, he said. Both Pfizer and Moderna have said they anticipate their test results will be available in the fall. Currently, only Pfizer is approved for use in children aged 12 to 17 in Canada.