THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : At a time when plans are afoot to start vaccination of children below 18 years against Covid, health experts have sounded caution against the emergency use of the jabs. According to them, all safety data should be made available before giving vaccines to the age group least vulnerable to Covid. These concerns have been raised amid talks of rolling out vaccination for children below 18 years being considered at the national level. Besides, the governments are serious about reopening schools and colleges.
The experience drawn from the impact of the pandemic has made experts take a cautious approach on vaccination among children. “The purpose of vaccination is reducing morbidity and mortality. It has worked well in adults who had no other options. The data shows that children are the least affected by Covid. So, there is no emergency for vaccinating children. We should have a policy of waiting and watching for the safety aspects,” said professor of pediatrics at Manjeri MES Medical College Dr Purushothaman Kuzhikkathukandiyil.
“Safety gets importance in a least vulnerable age group which has to live for at least 80 years or more,” he said. He pointed out that only a limited number of countries have approved the vaccination of children, while some ohers have suspended a particular type of vaccine even at the age below 40 due to the adverse effects. Covid deaths among children are just six per lakh while the number of children requiring ICU admission is onl;y 1% of the total affected, nationally. While the health experts are convinced of the efficacy of vaccines in preventing deaths, they want the safety data to be established for children.
“Vaccine is mandatory for adults because the disease itself is lethal. However, there is a difference of opinion in the case of children because acute Covid is not considered as a very deadly disease. Then, why should we go for an emergency authorisation of use instead of a routine authorisation instead of waiting for safety data?” asked Dr Sheeja Sugunan, superintendent of Sree Avittam Thirunal Hospital (SAT) Hospital here. According to her, it usually takes at least 1.5 years to gain the safety data before a drug finally comes to children.
At present, only people in the age group of over 18 years are eligible for vaccination. The health experts are also against leaving the children to develop natural immunity due to late complications seen in some children. “Children need vaccination. At the community level, it is important to immunise children to attain herd immunity. But we simultaneously need aggressive safety data in the public domain,” said Dr Sheeja. She suggested that the children with comorbidities should be given priority in vaccination ahead of healthy children.
The country’s drug regulator granted emergency use authorisation of Zydus Cadila’s DNA vaccine (ZyCoV-D), which has been approved for children aged above 12, on August 20. The company has expressed its readiness to make the doses available in October. The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVEC) will take a take a final decision based on the recommendations of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.
46 (0.2 %) Covid deaths in 0-17 age group in the state