Thursday, 24 Feb 2022 01:08 PM MYT
In preauthorisation clinical trials as reported by CDC USA, Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was administered to 3,109 children aged 5-11 years; most adverse events were mild to moderate such as pain at the injection site, headaches, and mild fever which can be recovered from within a few days. No serious adverse events related to vaccination were reported during these trials.
Some parents are considering opting out of vaccinating their children in hopes of depending on herd immunity. Traditionally, herd immunity is achieved when 80 per cent of the population have been fully immunised against an infection. But this is not so with Covid-19, especially with the new Omicron variant, the estimates are much higher. We will likely need more than 95 per cent of the population fully immunised to achieve a degree of protection similar to that conferred by herd immunity [4].
This may be exacerbated if there are parents adopting a “wait and see” approach to children’s vaccinations because of worries over its current and long-term side effects. However, we will not be able to achieve the 95 per cent of immunisation rate to gain herd immunity if we do this. Vaccination is still the most effective way to prevent Covid-19 infection and the development of serious complications, including the likelihood of reduced transmission in the home and in school settings, to safeguard vulnerable persons, and create a safer in-person learning environment.