Some people believe that vaccinating children will help in opening schools. At the same time, experts say that children are more at risk than the adults present in the house.
Should children be vaccinated first?
In the 18-month-old outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries that have vaccinated most adults have now started immunizing adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15. Reasons for vaccinating children and adolescents include the confidence needed to open schools, prevent the spread of infection among people of all ages to prevent serious illness and achieve ‘community immunity’.
Most countries, including Australia, have not yet completed vaccination for the highest-risk age groups. So, how reasonable is it to vaccinate children and adolescents at this time? COVID-19 is less severe in children and adolescents, with most children having mild or no symptoms.
Reduced risk of death in children
Studies have found that children at a young age are less likely to develop multiple organ inflammation (multisystem inflammatory syndrome) and have a longer-term covid after a corona virus infection. Newborns and children with other medical conditions have a higher risk of serious illness, but with a good level of medical care, the risk of dying in more vulnerable children is reduced.
Given the higher risk in children with underlying health issues, vaccinating these children above the age of 12 years may prove beneficial, and adolescents aged 16 to 18 may also be justified in vaccinating but with increasing age at risk for severe disease. There is a greater risk, so getting older people and adults vaccinated should be a priority.
Are Vaccines Safe for Children?
Common side effects observed in clinical trials of Pfizer vaccine children aged 12 to 15 years included injection site pain (86 percent of participants), fatigue (66 percent of participants) and headache (65 percent of participants). Their intensity was mild to moderate and of short duration.
However, after mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), two more serious conditions – myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium) were observed in the US, Canada and Israel. The highest rate was observed after the second dose in boys and girls under the age of 25.
According to US data as of June 11, there were 66.7 cases per million second doses in boys aged 12 to 17 years. This is twice the estimated risk of thrombocytopenia (TTS) with thrombosis following AstraZeneca vaccine although myocarditis and pericarditis are less serious conditions.
What is the risk of infection in schools?
Countries such as the US and Canada are vaccinating adolescents in part to instill confidence in opening schools because the global pandemic has affected children’s learning, social distancing and Emotional development has been affected the most.
Virus outbreaks can and do occur in schools and can be up to the level of community transmission, but school-linked infections have been rarely seen in the current outbreak. However, it is important to understand that adult staff is responsible for most cases of infection in schools, and that most infections that are commonly seen from or in schools occur at home.
A study from Scotland found that people who have a large number of adults in their household are at higher risk of being at serious risk of COVID-19. Vaccination of adults, parents and school staff is important in preventing infection in children and schools. Vaccinating large numbers of adults would reduce the risk of serious illness and death and reduce the burden on health systems. That is the main goal.
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