Coronavirus: vaccination starts next week for babies from 6 months to 3 years

The immunization campaign against coronavirus for the population from six months to 3 yearswhich consists of two doses with an interval of 28 days, will start “in early August, depending on each jurisdiction”, and will seek to take advantage of the initiative to “complete the vaccination of the national calendar”, said in an interview with the official agency Telam Juan Manuel Castelli, Undersecretary for Health Strategies at the Ministry of Health.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed that although “there was no impact from the point of view of severe forms or hospitalizations” in the pediatric rangethe emergence of the coronavirus variants and the change in isolation measures “made more children acquire the infection”said the official and infectious disease doctor.

Castelli specified that 2,744,000 pediatric vaccines from the Moderna laboratory have already been distributed to the 24 jurisdictions to begin the application to babies from 6 months and up to 2 years, 11 months and 29 days, what they will also serve as a booster dose for those of 3 and 4 who received the immunizer from Sinopharm.

In addition to this amount, 645,000 pediatric doses have already entered the country and will be distributed next week, according to Ministry sources.

The campaign, which is aimed at “children from six months to three years as initial vaccination schemes”, consists of two doses, which will be applied with an interval of 28 days between one and the other, the official explained.

At the same time, It will allow three- and four-year-olds who already have two doses of Sinopharm, four months into their full schedule, to receive the Moderna booster.

“Vaccination is the best strategy for preventing hospitalization, especially in children with respiratory infections or some specific treatment where perhaps the impact of Covid may be more serious,” Castelli said, adding that the immunization “provides continuity to educational and recreational activities and it leads to a more adequate way of life in relation to the pre-pandemic stage.”

Also, he pointed out that Moderna’s pediatric vaccine has the same formulation as the dose administered to those over 12 years of age, “with fewer micrograms, it is a lower concentration”and although “it does not prevent transmission, it has an impact on it”.

According to the specialist the campaign will begin “at the beginning of August” throughout the national territory, but may have a deferred start depending on each jurisdiction. This will depend on the organization of the local health authorities.

Regarding distribution, he specified that each jurisdiction was given “through a strategic plan, the doses proportional to the target population,” and each one will be in charge of “organizing the vaccination strategy.”

In some cases, prior registration will be necessary, and in others vaccination will be carried out openlydepending on what each province has.

Meanwhile, through the Federal Health Council (Cofesa), “it was agreed to prioritize vaccination mainly among children who have immunocompromise or chronic diseases, but it will be universal for everyone.”

According to the latest data presented by the Ministry of Health in its report on childhood, adolescence and Covid-19, there were 342 deaths in the age group from 0 to 17 years, with a case fatality rate of 0.05%, much lower than the 127,434 deaths in the general population (1.4% case fatality).

In this sense, Castelli pointed out that although the deaths linked to the coronavirus in the pediatric population “are very few”, It was determined “the presence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, which is an event that develops from the Covid infection in some children with greater severity.

Therefore, the infectologist stressed the “substantive importance” of immunization “not only for the care of childrenbut because it is important that we can move forward so that the entire population of Argentina completes its vaccination”.

with this campaign it also seeks to promote “complete the vaccination schedules of the calendar”, with the intention of “that the youngest are protected,” he added.

Likewise, Castelli recalled that between the On October 1 and November 13, the national vaccination campaign against measles and polio will be carried out, which will allow applying “an additional dose to all children” to “improve the possibilities of protection against the risk of introducing new outbreaks as occurred in several countries”.

Finally, given the doubts of parents and the general population about vaccines, Castelli indicated that “it is important that safe information be provided, through the Ministries of Health of each jurisdiction, the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP) and pediatricians”.

“The information is available, and they can have that information to make the best decisions,” the official concluded.

With information from the Télam agency

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