Health Highlights: May 5, 2021

Health Highlights: May 5, 2021

Canada Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 12-15

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by Canadian health officials for use in children ages 12-15. It was already authorized for anyone 16 and older.

The evidence is that the vaccine is safe and effective in the younger age group, Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, said Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the first approved for children in Canada.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer's vaccine for youngsters by next week, meaning that many may be able to get shots before the start of the next school year, the AP reported.

About a month ago, Pfizer announced that its vaccine also provides protection for children ages 12-15.


EU OKs Mealworms as Food

Could worms be the food of the future?

European Union (EU) members have given the go-ahead for dried yellow mealworms to be marketed as a "novel food."

The decision Tuesday follows the release earlier this year of a scientific opinion from the EU's food safety agency saying Tenebrio molitor beetle's larvae are safe to eat, the Associated Press reported.

A regulation authorizing the mealworms as food is expected to be adopted in coming weeks, meaning they could soon be available in grocery stores and restaurants in the 27 EU nations.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization calls insects "a healthy and highly nutritious food source with a high content of fat, protein, vitamins, fibers and minerals," the AP reported.

The worms can be eaten whole or in powdered form as a protein-rich snack or an ingredient in other foods, according to researchers, the AP reported.

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