Health Canada authorized the use of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE's COVID-19 booster on Friday for 5 to 11-year-old children. The updated vaccine aims to protect the 5 to 11 age group from the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

The booster is determined to be safe having previously been approved on October 7 for use in people aged 12 and over but the dosage would be smaller for the younger age group. Canada's health regulator said that it "will continue to closely monitor the safety of this vaccine in Canada and internationally."

On Thursday, Omicron-specific vaccines, made by Pfizer and Moderna Inc., respectively, for kids over 6 months were approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.