LIVE AT 2:30 2-hour wildfire evacuation notice issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, announced that Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized to be used as a booster for children aged 5-11.
Tam said Health Canada has authorized 10 microgram booster doses for children, and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has released guidance on its use.
This is the first booster approved for children aged 5-11, with Moderna being authorized for just two doses of its vaccine for that age group.
NACI says children with underlying medical conditions or who are immunocompromised, and therefore at risk of more severe outcomes from the virus, should be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose at least six months following their second shot.
“This booster dose provides a great option to restore protection for this age group, especially for those who are at high risk of severe illness,” Tam said.
All other children in the 5-11 age group may also be offered the booster dose as of six months following their second shot, Tam said, adding that the risk of severe outcomes for them is “generally rare.”
“I like to remind parents that severe medical conditions in this age group should be rare,” she said. “So I think giving people the choice and providing parents and kids with information about the effectiveness of a vaccine and the importance of the booster can help them make this choice.”
The vaccination rate for children aged 5-11 is the lowest of any other cohort — with about 42 per cent having completed their primary series of two doses — compared to more than 99 per cent for the over-80 age group, and at least 83 per cent for every other group older than 12.
The announcement comes as Tam and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo gave an update on both COVID-19 and monkeypox cases in Canada.
Tam said while many regions appear to be past the most recent peak in COVID-19 cases, with weekly case counts on the decline, there are some exceptions.
She said getting vaccinations up to date is a “top priority” to prepare for potential future waves in the fall, as students return to school, people return to work following summer vacations, and Canadians generally start making their way back indoors.
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.