A first COVID-19 vaccine for children five and under could be approved within a week or two, Health Canada said on Tuesday.

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In a series of tweets, the federal ministry revealed that it is currently considering an application for approval of Moderna's vaccine for young children, from the age of six months.

That review is expected to conclude around mid-July, Health Canada added.

The messenger RNA serum developed by Moderna, if approved for use in toddlers, could quickly be joined in Canada's pharmaceutical arsenal by its equivalent developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, which filed for approval on 23 June.

“Health Canada is required to review the data supporting the safety, efficacy and quality of any vaccine before approval can be given,” recalled the federal authority.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already approved the use of vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for children six months to five years old, in a decision issued in mid-June.