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WILL THE CHILDREN BE VACCINATED? WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?
In our country, young people who took days from the age of 18 began to be vaccinated. In some countries, the decoction of the 12-15-year-old group is also in question, but studies on this issue are continuing. A single-dose formula for children and teenagers is also being discussed. So, should young people under the age of 18 be vaccinated? We asked the experts in Antalya medical park Doctors;
We’ve been fighting the Covid-19 pandemic for about 2 years, and the only way out of it is the vaccine. In this case, it is also vital that everyone who comes in turn is vaccinated. In our country, vaccination goes down to 18 years of age, as well as vaccination of children aged 12-15 years has also begun to be discussed.
Early in the outbreak, it was thought that vaccination of 70 percent of the population would be enough to reach the goal of mass immunity. But it is also possible that this rate will be insufficient, especially with the appearance of variants and the effectiveness of the vaccine decisively affected by this.
On the other hand, there are still some concerns about vaccination of children, while practices vary by country. In many European countries, children over 12 are vaccinated, while in some countries, only children over 12 with chronic conditions are vaccinated.
“We are in favor of vaccinating our children and young people with chronic conditions under the age of 18,” he said. It will not last very long, it can probably be 1 Week 10 days, especially if we will vaccinate people with chronic conditions and October diseases,” he said. At the moment, it is not clear whether vaccination appointments will be opened for children aged 12-15 in Turkey.
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SO, WHAT IS THE OPINION OF THE EXPERTS AT THIS POINT?
I’ll make my kid do it. Will children be vaccinated what experts say:
Infectious Diseases Clinical Microbiology Specialist Doctor, Child Health and diseases specialist Prof. Dr. and Infectious Diseases and clinical microbiology specialist Prof. Dr. ‘ should children be vaccinated? If he’s going to be vaccinated, when?’ we asked his questions.
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CHILDREN ARE IN AN IMPORTANT POSITION IN THE TRANSMISSION CHAIN
About 60-70 percent of the population must be vaccinated in order for mass immunity to be formed against Covid-19. Children are in an important position in the transmission chain, although it is accepted that they have the disease milder. Children make up 25 percent of the society in Turkey. For this reason, it is important that children are vaccinated to cut the chain of contagion.
Scientific circles continue to debate the vital role of vaccinating children. This is a complex issue whose response may vary from country to country. Vaccination of children under the age of 18 has started in the United States, Canada and European Union countries, and in the coming days it will also go down to the age of 18 in our country.
After adult risk groups and all age groups that need to be vaccinated are vaccinated, children will also now become candidates for vaccination. It is not yet clear whether our children will be vaccinated before schools open, or how old they will be. We’ll all see it together in the coming days.
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SAFE AND MOST EFFECTIVE VACCINE DOSE FOR CHILDREN IS CRUCIAL
We know that children’s immune systems respond differently to vaccines than teenagers and adults. For this reason, it is very important to find the safe and most effective vaccine dose in children. Our experience to date is that vaccines developed for adults are not automatically suitable for children.
In other non-Covid vaccinations, we see that it is rare for the same type of vaccine to be administered to both adults and children. Sometimes infants are given a modified mixture of vaccines, as in tetanus vaccines, unlike those administered to children and young people. Therefore, at the moment, vaccines made to adults with the available facilities are planned to be made in double doses in children, as in adults. By the end of 2021, pediatric covid-19 vaccines are expected to become available.
In recent months, Pfizer / BioNTech has received approval for use for children aged 16-18. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have announced they are starting vaccine trials in children. However, only Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has received emergency decontamination approval for 12-15 years.
However September is written that Pfizer/BioNTech will seek FDA approval for its use between the ages of 2-11. Therefore, it would be appropriate to give Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to children under the age of 18 in our country.
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I GET MY CHILD OVER 12 VACCINATED
Pfizer / BioNTech has received emergency use approval for 12-15 years and will soon receive routine use approval as well. After receiving this approval (which does not last 1-2 months), if it begins to be administered in our country, I will also have my child over 12 years of age vaccinated. For younger children, pediatric vaccines will be available by the end of the year.
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RESEARCH IS LIMITED, THERE IS NO VALID ANSWER IN A GLOBAL SENSE
With the outbreak, it was thought that vaccination of 60-70 percent of the community would be enough to reach the target of mass immunity. But especially with the emergence of variants, the need for this ratio to reach a higher level began to be discussed.
Considering that children and young people comprise a large part of the world’s population (United Nations, the organization of economic and Social Affairs, children and young people up to the age of 17 per cent of the world’s population and 30.2% are estimated to constitute), mass vaccination of children’s age groups in their efforts to create the immunity issue came up. Children, like adults, can become infected and heal, transmitting the virus to others. Vaccination or immunity through transmission can help control the pandemic.
Since the number of studies on the effects of Covid-19 vaccines on children and adolescents is very small, the data is evaluated based on limited research. After the recommendation that Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine can be made to children aged 12-15 in the United States and Canada, vaccinations for children aged 12-15 began.
In the European Union, approval for the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has so far been granted to the age group of 16-18 years. In 2021 May was given the green light by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at the end of May, however, opening the way for the 12-15 age group to be vaccinated as well. Israel, Germany, France have started vaccinating children. It has been announced that the 12-17 age group will be vaccinated before the new academic year in Spain.
As can be seen, with the acceleration of vaccination around the world, age groups have been reduced and the vaccination of children has come to the agenda. But in order for the pandemic to be controlled, vaccination at the global level is becoming more important than the rate of vaccination that countries reach alone, given travel and community movements at the global level.
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2 DOSES ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR CHILD
According to a study in the medical journal Lancet, which included 552 children who were given the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, 96 percent of these children developed antibodies after two doses of the vaccine. On June 5, China granted emergency use approval for the use of the Sinovac vaccine in children and young people aged 3-17. Indonesia recommended on June 28 that the vaccine from the Chinese firm Sinovac be used between the ages of 12-17. In studies conducted for both vaccines, the dose and frequency applied in adults were used as a method of administration, and recommendations in the form of 2 doses.
According to the course of the epidemic and the provision of vaccines, vaccination of children aged 12-15 years can contribute positively to the normalization of social life, especially to the continuation of education without interruption. By evaluating the course of the epidemic, global and local vaccination rates and social immunity levels for vaccination of children and adolescents, it would be more accurate to act in accordance with the recommendations of the scientific boards according to each country’s own dynamics and scientific data.
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A DECISION MUST BE MADE AFTER 60 PERCENT MASS IMMUNITY IS ACHIEVED
As for vaccination under the age of 18, cases of inflammation of the heart muscle or membrane, even with a slight course after mRNA vaccination from the United November and Israel, were an important drawback. Even recently, 484 cases of pericarditis were reported in 300 million doses between the ages of 12 and 29, according to current information at the American Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) forum. The average probability is only 12.6 percent in a million. The situation is demoralizing, but especially given MIS-C and similar situations, there is no situation that will be extraordinary and panic.
In this case, “should children be given a single dose of the vaccine?” the question comes to mind, but on the other hand, there is a possibility that the single dose of protection capacity will fall. (There is still no clear data for children.) Not all questions have a single answer, and children are also in a critical position, especially in terms of the spread of the disease. Mis-C, which is rare but deadly, is also a condition that forces all conditions. Too hard to decide.
Personally, I also think that in children, mRNA vaccines have a score advantage. Because under the age of 18, they started to get vaccinated before. On the other hand, China has approved Sinovac and Sinopharm for more new ages 3-17 and announced that it will start implementing it, but has not yet shared scientific data.
In a nutshell, the schedule and types of vaccines for children will also be on the agenda for our country, but I think it would be right to decide that after 60 percent of mass immunity is achieved. As scientific data still continues to be collected, my personal opinion on this issue is ambiguous, naturally. I have two children aged 10-16, and if they start getting vaccinated at that age, I will get their vaccines.
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Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.