Despite the increase in cases of covid-19 due to the fourth wave, parents are still very distrustful of taking their children to vaccinate against the coronavirus due to the possible discomforts or transitory symptoms that the little ones of the household could manifest after the application of the vaccine leaving him unprotected against the disease.
Why is it so important to vaccinate the child against covid-19, but above all to complete the corresponding dose according to their age group?
Dr. Theresa Ochoa, an epidemiologist at Hospital Cayetano Heredia, indicated that it is extremely necessary for the minor to receive this vaccine in order to activate his developing immune system.
“It is essential to understand that for vaccines to work within our body and, in this case, within children, these additional doses are needed to adequately activate our immune system that will produce antibodies to be protected against a severe infection. (covid-19). Therefore, placing a single dose is not enough because the body will not be fully prepared to have an adequate response to the disease, ”he said.
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Currently, he said, vaccination coverage against covid-19 in children aged 5 to 11 years with the two doses is only 54% to 55%, which is worrying because this means that there are about 45% of minors who are exposed to this virus, as well as developing serious symptoms of the disease that could lead to hospitalization.
For the doctor, the fear that parents have to vaccinate their children against covid-19 is unfounded, after recalling that, from the age of 2 months, the baby receives 8 vaccines to protect him from different diseases and that as he grows it is mandatory give him the booster dose because otherwise the medicine will not have an effect on the child’s body.
For example, he indicated that the vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) is applied at 2, 4 and 6 months of life to then receive the first booster at a year and a half and the second between 4 and 6 years of age , which shows that vaccines do fulfill the function of protecting the infant.
Other reasons why vaccination in children is important is because they could transfer the covid-19 virus to the house and infect the most vulnerable people such as the elderly or who have some comorbidity.
“If the child is not vaccinated, he will have a greater chance of acquiring the virus and taking it home. Now, in this fourth wave, in addition to handwashing and the mask, the most efficient thing we have is vaccination. In this way, we protect our vulnerable population ”, he limited.
safe vaccines
The vaccines that are applied to children and adolescents, he said, are completely safe because before being applied they have gone through the supervision, approval and monitoring of international regulatory entities such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in our country by the Ministry of Health (Minsa), which guarantees the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine against covid-19.
He advised parents that, if they have doubts about the application of the vaccine to their children, it is better to seek reliable and reliable information through the official channels of the Minsa and corroborate all kinds of news on the subject.
Transient symptoms
General discomfort, pain in the arm where the vaccine was applied or fever are some of the possible discomforts that the child could have but that, in general, are transitory and last between 2 to 3 days and that can be relieved with the use of a analgesic or antipyretic such as paracetamol.
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“It is good to remember that every vaccine is going to have some reaction associated with its use. As for the covid-19 vaccine in children, they may manifest malaise, fever, headache, but these are transitory symptoms that are well controlled with an analgesic. In addition, when the child presents these symptoms, it means that the vaccine is working within her body and that the immune system is being activated, ”she said.
However, he assured that the benefits of giving them the covid-19 vaccine are greater than the temporary discomfort they cause in the body and that they prevent the disease from worsening in the child, especially if he suffers from some other ailment such as asthma. obesity, cancer, etc.
Reinforcement
At another time, Ochoa pointed out that an increase in infections is being perceived in adolescents and this is due to the fact that only 23% of this population (12 to 17 years old) have complied with applying the third dose against covid-19, for which made a call to continue to be vaccinated especially in this fourth wave.
“Adolescents who are older than 12 years already have the indication to receive the third dose after 5 months of receiving the second, so I recommend that they take them to be vaccinated so that they are protected from this virus,” he insisted.
The specialist pointed out that we must continue with all biosecurity measures because the current subvariants of covid-19 known as BA.4 and BA.5 that circulate in the country have the peculiarity of evading the immune system, which is why she considers that the entire population You must complete your vaccination schedule against the coronavirus.
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