The director of the Chair of Infectious Diseases at the University of the Republic, Julio Medina, spoke this Saturday at a press conference about vaccination against covid-19 for children under 12 years of age, stating that the decision has not yet been made and the The trade-off that still remains under study by experts is between “risk” and “benefit”, as stated Underlined.
He assured that both the National Vaccine Commission and the ad hoc group, which are made up of “more than 20 professional and scientific experts,” are “discussing this issue every day,” but that first it must be seen that there is approval of the vaccines at the national level. of international organizations for children under 12 years of age. He said that once that happens, that scientific evidence is added and that it is discussed with pediatricians, it will be possible to evaluate taking the step.
“The decision is always going to be a balance between risk and benefit. The commissions that we advise on vaccines always when the benefit is greater than the risk is taken. When the benefit and the risk are still doubtful, one has a pause and continues studying ”, said the infectologist.
Asked about the countries that are heading to vaccinate children, Medina said that “the situation in other countries is not ours, so it is understandable that some want to take a step that we have not yet taken.”
“Uruguay has always been very proactive, for something we have the results that we have, if the time comes to take the step to vaccinate children under 12 years old, it will be given, but that decision has not been made,” he said.
The expert also discussed the provision of a third booster dose for other age groups that were originally immunized with Pfizer. He referred to the decision of the vaccine commission to approve the third dose for those over sixty years of age and said that in the case of health personnel, it began to be discussed, as in the case of other ethereal groups under the age of sixty. Sixty years that were vaccinated with the dose of the American laboratory, but that “both local and international information is being added” to decide the measure.
