Dr. Stopyra warns: any child who is not vaccinated will become ill

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On December 16, vaccinations for children in the 5-11 age group are to start in Poland. Many parents probably ask themselves whether to vaccinate their child. Let the answer be the words of the contagious and pediatrician Dr. Lidia Stopyra. “Virtually every child who is not immunized will get sick,” she told Medonet.

1. According to Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska, in Poland, vaccinations of children 5+ are to start on December 16, registration – a few days earlier
2. Dr Lidia Stopyra: – There is no reason to wonder if your child should be immunized against COVID-19. The answer is one and certain: it’s worth it. When vaccinating, we risk nothing by giving up on it – we risk a lot
3. The infected person admits that virtually every child who is not immunized will get sick. – In this epidemiological situation, there is no doubt about it
4. However, are there any contraindications to vaccinating a child? What side effects may occur? What does a parent who will not vaccinate a child have to take into account? The specialist explains in an interview with Medonet
5. On November 25, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a positive recommendation for a vaccine against COVID-19 BioNTech / Pfizer for children aged 5 to 11 years. Five days later it was approved by the European Commission
6. More important information can be found on the Onet homepage

Monika Mikołajska / Medonet: Israel is one of the countries vaccinating children 5+ against the coronavirus. This was argued by, inter alia, the fact that half of all confirmed infections in this country were in children 11 years of age and younger. We know what the situation looks like in Poland? How many children can be infected?

Dr Lidia Stopyra: At the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 was estimated to be 1-3 percent. kids. It quickly turned out otherwise. I remember that even in the period when we did not have vaccinations, the health department in Małopolska published epidemiological data taking into account this group. We found that about 10 percent. the infections concerned children. Of course, these data only concerned the tested ones. World data confirmed these statistics.

Today we live in the reality of the next wave of the epidemic and we know that it mainly affects the unvaccinated. Meanwhile, at the moment, children under 12 are not vaccinated at all, those above are vaccinated very poorly. The share of children among those infected with the coronavirus is therefore much higher than the aforementioned 10%.

The rest of the conversation is under the video.

We are talking about the statistics themselves. And in fact – How many children in Poland can actually suffer from COVID-19?

Children are a group that is tested very little. We can perfectly see the scale of this phenomenon every day. The fact that a toddler had COVID-19 often becomes apparent only when serious complications – symptoms of PIMS – appear. There is therefore no doubt that many more children are actually infected with the coronavirus than the official data show.

It is very likely that about half of the current infections are actually in this group. In countries where children are tested very often, it actually turns out that they constitute 30-50% of infections. all infected.

Previously, children were said to have COVID-19 mildly. What does it look like today?

It is not true that all children are infected with the coronavirus is mild. Some get infected really hard. We see it especially now, during the fourth wave. We cannot forget about acute complications. I am talking about the already mentioned PIMS, which is a direct threat to life. On average, one in every thousand children has it. I also mean long-term symptoms that may occur after COVID-19 – long-lasting changes in the lungs, weakness, poor exercise tolerance, neurological changes, exacerbation of chronic diseases. Will they appear – it is an individual matter.

1. COVID-19. On December 16, vaccinations in children 5-11 years old will start. Are you for or against? [PROBE]

What is the condition of children with coronavirus infection who end up in your ward?

Most often they are toddlers with symptoms of pneumonia, fever, cough, but also gastrointestinal disorders. Sometimes the only symptom of a coronavirus infection is stomach pain, diarrhea or vomiting. Very often, COVID-19 occurs as laryngitis or sinusitis. Generally, children require hospitalization for slightly different reasons than adults. In Poland, it is less often dyspnoea, respiratory failure, and often dehydration, high fever that is difficult to control, laryngitis (the accompanying swelling may lead to breathing difficulties).

I would like to emphasize a very important point. Currently, in the face of such a large number of infections, any infectious symptoms in a child are a reason to suspect a coronavirus infection, so make a test. Only by testing we can tell if it’s SARS-CoV-2 or another pathogen.

The way to avoid all of this is to have your baby immunized. But there are more reasons why you should do so.

We must remember one more very important matter. Children are a group in which we cannot use other protective measures against the coronavirus. After all, young children are very spontaneous and mobile. It is difficult to expect them to wear masks or to keep their distance.

So it is clear that vaccination is the best option here. Especially since they are still the only effective measure that can stop a pandemic. We should also remember that children are protected with vaccinations from the first days of their lives. So there is no reason to wonder if your child should be vaccinated against COVID-19. The answer is one and certain: it’s worth it. By vaccinating, we do not risk anything, resigning from it – we are risking a lot.

Are there any contraindications to immunizing a young child against COVID-19?

They are the same as for adults. It is primarily anaphylaxis after a previous dose of the vaccine. In fact, however, there are very few children with contraindications for vaccination. We should also remember that qualification takes place before vaccination.

Parents of children with certain diseases and burdens, such as oncological children, children with leukemia, often fear whether they can get vaccinated. However, there is no doubt here. Such babies are particularly vulnerable to severe infection and the more they need to be vaccinated. Vaccination can save their lives.

1. Dr. Stopyra on vaccination of younger children: there is one serious contraindication

I also wanted to refer to the flu vaccination. Now you can get vaccinated against it and COVID-19 at the same time. Does this also apply to children?

Of course. We can use them together or with any spacing – it doesn’t matter. In fact, initially a two-week break between vaccinations was recommended. This was not very justified and was quickly changed.

What about the side effects of having two vaccines at the same time? Is there no risk here that it will accumulate?

The most common side effect of vaccination is pain in the arm, especially pressure. If we have two vaccinations, both hands may hurt, but this is not always the case. Besides, there is no greater risk here. Malaise is rarely seen after the flu vaccination.

There are probably still people who have doubts as to whether their child should be vaccinated. What would you like to pass on to such a parent to calm him down?

All the parents who stay with their children in my ward definitely regret that they did not get vaccinated. The truth is, there has been a lot of myth and false information surrounding vaccination. And I really feel sorry for my parents, because it is really difficult for them to figure out what is reliable knowledge and what is a lie.

There is no doubt that we are on the brink when it comes to space in hospitals, that the necessity to create new covid sites blocks the way of treatment for others. We owe it all to people who spread false information about vaccinations and who threaten vaccinations.

Everyone can already see that the unvaccinated get sick, suffer and die. Over the last few days, the number of deaths has exceeded 500 – more than the number of passengers in two planes. If we had two planes with young people crashing every day (because they are mainly dying now), we would look at it differently. Meanwhile, death has been tamed with us. I don’t know why, and I don’t understand how vaccination can still be scared from all this. We should be afraid not to vaccinate – it is really very dangerous today.

It is said that we, Poles, have an objection gene …

I would say it’s more of a stupid gene.

However, if the parent decides not to vaccinate the child, what development will he or she have to take into account?

Virtually every child who is not immunized will become ill. In this epidemiological situation, there is no doubt about it. Most will get through this infection relatively mildly. Whether it will be my child – no parent can be so sure. If COVID-19 becomes more severe in the child, they will end up in a hospital, which is currently cramped, uncomfortable. At best, he or she will spend a few or several days in it.

However, it may also happen that the child’s health and life will be at risk. When a toddler’s condition deteriorates, we never know in what direction it will develop. In the USA, several hundred children died due to COVID-19, and several dozen in Poland. Let this be a warning to all parents. By vaccinating your child, you will not be afraid for the health and life of your child. A fear that cannot be compared to anything else.

You may be interested in:

1. COVID-19 hits little ones. We know how many children get sick and end up in hospitals
2. Why is the coronavirus more attacking children now? Two main reasons
3. The effectiveness of vaccines against Omikron. First official data and good news

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