Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : September 6, 2021 11:23 AM IST
With countries across the world racing against time to vaccinate the entire adult global population at against COVID-19 the earliest, the debate rages on about the safety of inoculating children against the deadly virus. It is true that the pandemic has affected mostly adults and very few children. But experts have pointed out that some children do get infected, and they do suffer from serious complications. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that children above the age of 12 years should get inoculated. The logic behind this is that true protection will come only with widespread vaccination.
But what about children below the age of 12? As of now no vaccine has been approved for this age group yet though trials are going on to study vaccine efficacy on children below 12 years. In India, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has recently given its approval to Biological E for Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for its anti-Covid shots called Corbevax on children between 5 and 18 years of age subject to conditions. Approval will depend on the results of the trials. The US has already started vaccinating children in this age group. Around 24 countries, which include France, Italy, UK, Israel and Ireland, are already vaccinating children in this age group. In the UK, meanwhile, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent vaccine advisory group, has refused to grant approval for inoculating healthy children aged 12-15 years. The reason given by experts is the lack of evidence.
The UK advisory group has conceded authority on the decision to the country's top medical officers. This decision comes after reports and hence concern over the rare side effect of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which causes heart inflammation. This can further lead to palpitations and chest pain, which can be serious. According to available data from the US where 12-year-old kids are being vaccinated, there are 60 cases of children suffering from this side effect for every million second doses given to 12 to 17-year-old boys. In girls, the numbers are eight in one million.
The UK advisory group says that, as it is, children are at low risk from the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine against the disease will only offer then marginal benefit. Moreover, the health benefits of the vaccines when weighed against possible side-effects were not entirely clear. Hence, there is "insufficient" evidence to lend support for approval of mass vaccination in this age group. Scientists say that this precautionary approach is based on the fact that 'the margin of benefit is considered too small to support universal COVID-19 vaccination for this age group at this time'. The committee will continue to review safety data as and when they emerge.
(With inputs from IANS)
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