The Public Health Institute (ISP) announced almost eight months ago (November 25) the authorization of the use of the Sinovac laboratory vaccine against Covid-19 for children between three and five years of age. Days later (December 6) the vaccination campaign began in the preschool population. And exactly five months later, a new stage was added to that campaign: children in this age range who had already had their first vaccines were called to receive their first booster dose.
These days, according to a study carried out by the Center for Public Policies and Innovation in Health (CIPS) of the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD)it was concluded that triple immunization has strong results in terms of protection from more serious infections.
The report shows that during May, In the population aged 6 to 11, the incidence rate in hospitalization was 17 times higher in those without a complete regimen or without protection compared to those who did have their regimen that includes the booster dose. Then, in June, the rate was 6.6 times higher for those who didn’t have their doses up to date.
The figures go in the same direction among young people between the ages of 12 and 20: the incidence of hospitalization rate in May was seven times higher in those who did not have a complete regimen, compared to those who had their third dose. And that rate was 15 times higher in June.
The executive director of the CIPS, Dr. Paula Daza, emphasizes that “the data is convincing and shows that the booster dose protects children, mainly from hospitalizations, therefore, It is essential to understand that this dose will allow children to return to their normal activities, such as school, more safely. We are going to continue to insist that children should be given the booster.”
But the study provides more significant data: during May, preschoolers without protection or only with the first doses were hospitalized 1.7 times more than those who have their booster dose, and in June infants with booster doses had no hospitalizations, while those with partial protection had an incidence rate of 6.3 per 100,000 population.
In ICU cases, it is also observed that the highest incidence rates are found in the groups that do not have any dose or do not have their complete regimen, mainly in the age group of 12 to 20 years. There the cases are 5.3 times more than those who have their third dose.
Although the explosive occupation of pediatric beds during June -and that led to bringing forward the winter vacations of schools and kindergartens- occurred due to viruses other than Covid-19, Marcela Monge, pediatrician and head of pediatric hospital areas at UC Christus, explains that for this same reason it is important to avoid serious infections of coronavirus in the younger population.
“With this great circulation of respiratory viruses that we have, the more we can prevent some of them, the better. In that sense, getting vaccinated against Covid-19 and influenza is very important, because in this way the beds are left available for children who get sick from other viruses that do not yet have a vaccine, such as syncytial,” dice.
The specialist also affirms that “it is true that children have a mild infection, but serious conditions exist just the same. And it has been shown that children vaccinated with a complete schedule and booster lower the incidence of hospitalization. In addition, it lowers the prolonged symptoms of Covid-19 and decreases PIMS.”
Likewise, the data analyzed by the UDD research center affirm that there are at least 260,000 children between the ages of three and five who, although they may have been vaccinated with the booster dose, have not. This number rises to more than 506 thousand in schoolchildren from six to 11 years old and more than 289 thousand in adolescents from 12 to 17 years old. Therefore, there are more than a million minors who are not up to date with their vaccination schedule. Of these, 69% have more than six months since their second dose has been administered.
In this context, Daza maintains that it is not good to let so much time pass between the first and third doses, and that is why the message must be reinforced: “We know that after six months the antibodies begin to drop and protection decreases, that is why having the most vaccinated population is essential. It is important to emphasize these data, insist and maintain risk communication on an ongoing basis”.
María Luz Endeiza, pediatric infectologist and head of the vaccination clinic at Clínica Universidad de los Andes, agrees that risk communication has been lost: “There is a great feeling in the environment that the vaccine is not necessary. With the first doses there was no problem, but there are parents who do not find a new dose necessary. It is not emphasized to them that antibodies go down for everyone, including children.”
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