The Ministry of Health is taking steps for rolling out Covid-19 vaccines for 5-11 year-olds. Vaccination is believed to be a critical tool to keep kids safe from emerging variants of Covid-19...
The Ministry of Health is taking steps for rolling out Covid-19 vaccines for 5-11 year-olds. Vaccination is believed to be a critical tool to keep kids safe from emerging variants of Covid-19.
Consent from most parents
Nguyen Thi Minh Thanh has given consent unhesitatingly for her child at 5th grade Phuoc Long 2 Primary School, Nha Trang City to be vaccinated against Covid-19. According to her, life has come back to normal with kids getting back to school. However, Covid-19 cases still remain high, mostly with the highly transmissible Omicron variant. She hopes her child will get the vaccine soon to keep him from getting seriously sick even if he gets Covid-19.
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Many other parents also hope their young kids will get vaccinated as soon as possible when the vaccination campaign begins in mid- April as scheduled. “I am in favor of the Covid-19 vaccination for young kids. My child stays at school all day so I will feel secure when he is protected with the vaccine,” said Nguyen Thi Van, whose child is studying at 3-2 Nursery School, Nha Trang.
An unofficial survey has confirmed that many parents agree their children aged 5 -11 will receive Covid-19 vaccines and hope the vaccine rollout will be carried out soon. However, some parents are still reluctant as they think about possible health risks they may have on their children.
Meeting approval for international safety standards
The rapidly spreading omicron variant is now the dominant Covid strain nationwide in general and in Khanh Hoa in particular. All are vulnerable to the infection, especially the unvaccinated. Researches and the reality have shown that in spite of some side effects, the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine in protection the community from getting seriously sick has been proved.
According to Dr. Huynh Trong Tan, Secretary of the provincial open vaccination program, vaccines used for children aged 5-11 by the Ministry of Health are recommended by the World Health Organization for their safety and efficacy.
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines have received full approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), demonstrating that the vaccines are safe and effective in children and have been used for kids in many different countries. Only few side effects have been reported and common reactions include pain at the injection site, tiredness, muscle pain and mild fever.
Parents are advised to bring their children to Covid-19 vaccination services to protect them from Covid-19. Covid-19 cases among children have increased recently nationwide in general and Khanh Hoa in particular. Some unvaccinated children who are seriously sick from Covid-19 are under treatment at the Makeshift Hospital 1 located at Khanh Hoa Hospital of Tropical Diseases. Therefore, Covid-19 vaccines will protect kids from getting seriously sick and reduce post- Covid-19 symptoms even if they get infected.
Early vaccination protects not only children, but also their family members, including those who are not eligible for vaccination. In fact, in the US and Europe, vaccines have been given to 5-11 year-olds and the results show that they are safe and effective. Therefore, parents should not be too worried and hesitant to miss the opportunity of vaccination to keep kids safe and healthy.
C.Dan
Translated by N.T
