In Poland, the COVID-19 vaccine can be taken by children from the age of 12. On December 16, vaccinations for the group of 5-11 years old are to start. Some parents have some anxiety about having their children immunized. Is it right? Dr. Lidia Stopyra – infectious diseases specialist and pediatrician – explains for MedTvoiLokony.
- In Poland, children over 12 years of age can already be vaccinated with Pfizer’s preparation. On December 16, vaccinations start in the group of children aged 5 to 11
- Not all parents are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity. They are concerned that the vaccine has not been adequately tested in children
- Another issue is the belief that children do not suffer from COVID-19, so vaccination, according to some parents, does not make sense. However, the situation is quite different
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
We remind you of the interview that was published in Medonet in June 2021.
Agnieszka Mazur-Puchała, Medonet: Let’s start with the most basic question: should we vaccinate children against COVID-19? It is necessary?
Dr. Lidia Stopyra, specialist in infectious diseases and paediatrics: Of course we should vaccinate children against COVID-19. There is no doubt about that. First, children are not as mildly ill as we think they are. A year ago, at the beginning of the pandemic, it was said that children did not get sick or that the infection was asymptomatic. The children were also said not to transmit the virus. And it was true in that first wave. However, in the second, and even more so in the third wave, we had a lot of serious illnesses in children. There were also serious complications. Fortunately, they are not common, but they do occur nonetheless. So we should vaccinate children just to keep them safe. The second point is that children play a vital role in transmitting the virus. At this point, if we are to achieve population immunity, we must also vaccinate our children.
The rest of the article under the video.
It won’t work without the kids?
It is said that children between the ages of 12 and 16 in Poland amount to approximately 2,5 million people. You should be aware that adults will not vaccinate 100%. This will not be the case in any country. Therefore, without this powerful group of young people, we will not achieve population resilience. If young people want to go back to school, if parents are waiting to return to normal life without remote lessons and work from home, a decision must be made to vaccinate children against COVID-19.
At this point, we can vaccinate children over 12 years of age, but research is already underway on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines in children over 6 months of age. Such babies should also be vaccinated to be safe and to control the pandemic.
- “I will not get my baby vaccinated.” Doctors answer parents
Considering that vaccination of 12-year-olds causes strong emotions in parents, I think that it will be even worse with infants … Why should we not be afraid of vaccination against COVID-19 in the context of such babies?
For the vaccine to be registered in every age group, especially in the youngest children, it must be very safe. There is no such possibility that a vaccine will be approved for use which, to the current knowledge, has not been thoroughly tested. If there is any doubt, it will not be registered.
And when it comes to vaccinating children in general, let’s take into account that even before the age of six months, babies receive several vaccines: against hepatitis B, tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, rotavirus, Haemophilus influenzae (HiB), pneumococcus or meningococcal. They are also vaccinated against the flu immediately after the sixth month. We really have a lot of experience with vaccinations in children. Nay. In fact, vaccinations have always been associated with children. Only in recent years has there been talk of adult vaccinations. Anyway, this is exactly what we are behind when it comes to civilized countries.
Once a vaccine has been tested and approved for use in a given age group, there is no need to fear the dangers. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, I expect even greater effectiveness in children, because in the 12 – 16-year-old group there are fewer people undergoing immunity-suppressing treatment or after chemotherapy. In addition, with age, innate immunity decreases. Children are a group in which vaccination should be safe and effective.
And remember that without the COVID-19 vaccination, we cannot assume that children are protected against infection, because in the fourth or subsequent wave, mutations that are especially dangerous for young people may appear. We can’t risk anything like that.
Do you want to test your immunity to COVID-19 after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? Check the COVID-19 immunity test package that you will perform at selected points in the Diagnostics network.
How do we know that the COVID-19 vaccine has been well studied in children? Some parents say that these studies were either too short or too short. I understand that we can dispel this fear?
Prior to registration, Pfizer conducted a study on 2290 children. Half of them received a placebo and the other half a vaccine. This alone is enough to say that the preparation has been tested and proven. If, however, this was not a sufficient confirmation for the parents, then we are lucky that we are not the first. In the US and Canada, 12-year-olds have been vaccinated for some time. This is already hundreds of thousands, if not millions of vaccinated children. If anything were to happen, we would already know it. Even if it were some very rare complications. The ones that happen once in a million, which is nothing compared to the incidence of complications from COVID-19. There are no such reports.
- Vaccinating children in the USA. These side effects are the most common
We have no theoretical or practical premises to expect complications after vaccinating children against COVID-19.
Also read:
- Adults vaccinated against COVID-19 and the virus is looking for new ‘hosts’. Children at greater risk
- If a vaccinated person becomes ill with COVID-19, the disease is much milder. Research confirms
- Brazil: One in six people re-infected with the P.1 mutation
- How many variants of the coronavirus are currently in Poland? The Ministry of Health has released updated data
- Fourth wave in autumn? Expert: We are at the beginning of the end of the pandemic
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