All about influenza and Covid vaccine for children. The experts speak
Facts, data and comments on the flu and Covid vaccine for children. What the experts say (not all agree)
"This year all viruses will be a little more aggressive than last year", said Giuseppe di Mauro, president of the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS) , inviting parents to vaccinate children not only against Covid. now that the ok has arrived from the European Medicines Agency (Ema) , but also against the flu.
WHY THE FLU VACCINE IS IMPORTANT
"We recommend free vaccination against influenza to all children aged 6 months to 6 years and to all other adolescents with diseases, or if they have a fragile person in their family". This is the appeal launched by Di Mauro.
“The reasons for this request are many. First of all, it is important not to get the flu this year because all the viruses will be a little more aggressive than last year. Secondly, until all children are vaccinated against Covid, the flu reduces the incidence of a disease, the flu, which has symptoms very similar to Covid, with consequent checks, swabs, concern and commitment. for the family and the pediatrician ".
In addition, the expert continues, “by vaccinating all children with the flu, we prevent a child from infecting other children, the elderly and any frail family members. Even when there are no particular health problems, we must not forget the impact of the flu in terms of lost work days and absences from school ”.
THE VACCINAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE FLU
The flu vaccine has rare side effects and also has the option of being administered through a nasal spray from 2 to 18 years old.
"Unfortunately – concluded Di Mauro – this year the flu campaign started a little late, we started about 20 days ago, now we have to speed up the administration of these vaccines to be ready for the anti Covid campaign".
The two vaccines, anti Covid and anti-flu, recalled the president of Sipps, "can be done together" .
WHY THE ANTI COVID VACCINE FOR CHILDREN IS SAFE
Pfizer's anti Covid vaccine, already authorized for months to over 12s, first received in the United States and yesterday in the European Union the green light for administration – in reduced quantities – even in children aged 5 to 11. The decision is based on studies that showed 90.7% effectiveness.
However, these data may not be sufficient to make many parents overcome fears and doubts and therefore the virologist of the Scientific Technical Committee (Cts) and president of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa), Giorgio Palù, in an interview with Corriere della Sera explained why it is much more risky not to vaccinate children.
THE POSSIBLE RISKS WITHOUT VACCINATION
The expert recalled that in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “3% of children had the infection, today we are 25% because the Delta variant, much more contagious, is in circulation. Out of thousands of pediatric hospital admissions, a third involved healthy children who in part needed intensive care treatment ".
To put it very bluntly: “Covid – said Palù – has become a pediatric disease, one of the leading causes of death at this age. While no young life was interrupted due to the Covid vaccine ".
In addition, the president of Aifa wanted to re-propose a theme that is being talked about more and more despite the studies still need to be investigated: the phenomenon of long Covid , or the consequences that recur even months after recovery.
“We have seen it in adults – explained Palù – Muscle pains, headaches, insomnia, breathing difficulties, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, dizziness. I wouldn't expose my baby to this perspective ”.
INDIRECT ADVANTAGES OF VACCINATION
In addition to the importance of not exposing the smallest to these risks, the virologist recalled that if the virus circulates less, thanks to vaccination, "children do not lose their freedom".
“We have seen what the psychological consequences of being locked up at home are on them. Fewer games, less school, less sports ”, for this reason, Palù added:“ accepting the vaccination of children means assuring them well-being in a general sense, not forcing them to change their lives ”.
CASES OF MYOCARDITIS IN ADOLESCENTS
To those who fear adverse events, such as myocarditis in adolescents following the Covid vaccine, the virologist recalled that "the problems of myocarditis, the inflammation of the heart that occurred in older children, in this age group they have been very rare and never serious ".
"While on the other hand – Palù points out – there is a greater risk of catching Covid and developing an inflammatory syndrome, Mis-C, which is serious and affects many organs".
THERE ARE THOSE WHO DO NOT THINK IT SO …
Francesco Vaia, health director of Spallanzani in Rome, and Andrea Crisanti, director of the microbiology laboratory of the University of Padua leave the chorus.
Vaia said on television: “I have two granddaughters and I am a staunch vaccinist but my advice right now is not to vaccinate children. Their infections arise in the family, we must protect them by vaccinating parents and school staff. […] The Italian way of graduality is the best if we realize at a certain point that we need to vaccinate children we will do it, but not now ”.
He is of the idea of waiting for Crisanti too, who in Piazzapulita explained that he has "some conceptual reservations" and defining children as "a false problem". According to the professor, more data is needed because "in fact, we do not know whether by vaccinating children we block transmission" as the "trial did not measure transmission but only clinical episodes". And, concludes the expert, "most children do not develop clinical episodes".
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/tutto-su-vaccino-antinfluenzale-e-anti-covid-ai-bambini-parlano-gli-esperti/ on Sat, 27 Nov 2021 06:22:22 +0000.