The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands recently approved the addition to the Vaccination Calendar for all ages of new compounds to the existing offer. The pediatrician and member of the regional Vaccine Advisory Committee Luis Ortigosa affirms that with these incorporations “a giant leap has been made in protecting children.”
Among the proposals, the expert highlighted the administration of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in adolescent boys starting in October. “A vaccine that was already being given for 15 years, but only for girls and now they are also being extended to boys. Everyone will be able to put it on at the age of 12, with a two-dose regimen, with a minimum interval of six months.”
bronchiolitis
Another very important advance in the Vaccination Calendar for all ages of life is the implementation of protection against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) that causes brochiolitis in infants. It is not a vaccine itself, it is a monoclonal antibody against RSV in children at risk, and also in infants born during that season.
“It is a method to prevent children, especially the smallest ones under six months, from getting sick from this virus. It is an important advance as it will prevent outbreaks of bronchiolitis, which is a disease that this year we have had a great seasonal epidemic wave that has caused major health problems with collapses in both Primary Care and Hospitals, with minors hospitalized, some of them seriousness, and even a deceased child, ”he acknowledged.
The four pediatric associations that bring together professionals in this specialty in the Canary Islands asked in early July for public health to include this antibody. In this way, the Archipelago will be one of the eight Communities that tests it and will thus prevent RSV outbreaks from being intense and infections will also be reduced.
It is an acute and frequent disease, since it affects 60% of children under 1 year of age and almost 100% of children under two years of age. Nine out of ten parents will go with their children at least once or twice to their pediatrician’s office at their Health Center, and 60% will go to the hospital Emergency Department.
“All the Pediatric associations of the Canary Islands saw that the Ministry did not make the decision to incorporate this new antibody against the respiratory syncytial virus. The document exposed the compelling data that bronchiolitis entails and that it was important that the Canary Islands not remain in the tail wagon”. Fortunately, this antibody will be applied from October and November”, the expert highlighted.
flu dose
On the other hand, Luis Ortigosa was pleased that in the next flu campaign children are already beginning to be inoculated against this virus. “As we have highlighted on multiple occasions, children are the ones who get the most sick from the flu and are also the ones who spread it the most within their family and social environment. Although they normally have fewer complications, for years we have been insisting on the importance of vaccinating all children”.
The member of the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Government of the Canary Islands, affirmed that all children will begin to be vaccinated from six months to five years of age, all will be vaccinated free of charge by the public system and in addition to the injectable vaccine intramuscularly, there is the option, depending on age, of applying this vaccine by intranasal spray, “a very good way to get vaccinated without having to prick the child.”
“In short, we have taken a giant leap in protecting children with vaccines that are very effective both in preventing the disease of those who are vaccinated, and also in avoiding collapses in public health,” the expert reiterated.
The Pediatric associations that had issued these vaccination recommendations aimed at the child and adolescent population now expect “the support of families” to make them a success. In this sense, Ortigosa stated that “Canarian families trust the public health system and vaccinate their children very well, with which we know that we will not have problems, especially to immunize them against the respiratory syncytial virus, the the flu in children and against the human papilloma virus in everyone up to 12 years of age”.
In addition, he was sure that the Ministry “will begin information campaigns on the importance of these vaccinations.”
Surveillance
Questioned about the study by researchers from the University of Las Palmas who found “contaminating compounds” in infant purees, the expert stated that “there are substances that should not be in infant purées. The food safety law must be applied, it is necessary to control and monitor that food does not contain potentially toxic substances, even less when it is directed towards children, given their vulnerability”.
For example, due to social denunciation since 2017 in the Canary Islands, school canteens do not serve panga, a Vietnamese fish from rivers contaminated with toxins and heavy metals. “They are very cheap, with little nutritional value and potentially toxic to children. Fortunately, they withdrew.”
2023-08-06 23:00:00
#Luis #Ortigosa
