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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 28, 2021 9:36 AM IST
Flu shot gives children protection against influenza or flu virus
COVID infection in children is nearly always mild or asymptomatic, which is in sharp contrast to older age groups who have been prioritized by vaccination campaigns. In addition to preventing hospitalizations, vaccines also reduce the risk of COVID-19, and, therefore, reduces the risk of MIS-C, a serious condition of multisystem inflammation in children. Symptoms of MIS-C include fever, inflammation and severe illness that affects two or more organs and requires hospitalization. COVID vaccine disrupts the spread of the virus and also contributes to herd immunity - the point at which the virus struggles to spread because so many people are protected.
The Vaccines are incredibly safe but incur some risk to those who receive them. However, the potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the mild common possible side effects like pain, redness, swelling, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, fever & myocarditis. Thus, the challenge before the global pediatric medical community is to effectively and transparently convey the small risk of adverse effect from vaccination with a much higher likelihood of significant and lasting benefit to the individual and the community. The worldwide distribution of a safe and effective vaccine to mitigate the life threatening effects of illness with COVID 19 will literally save millions of lives across the world. Therefore, widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic.
Currently, CDC recommends coronavirus vaccination for 12 years and older, to help protect against COVID-19. Children aged 12-15 are already being jabbed (Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine) in the US, Canada and the EU.
While there are no vaccines There are 6 vaccines being tested in children, out of which three are made in India.
Covaxin- Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is an Indian vaccine developed by the Hyderabad-based vaccine makers and the Indian Council of Medical Research. While the vaccine is being administered to adults has around 78 per cent efficacy, now they are conducting phase 2-3 trials to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin in healthy volunteers between the ages of 2 and 18 years at six sites in the country.
Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine (BBV154)- One-shot nasal vaccine, which is believed to emerge as a game-changer, is already under trial and included children. And since it's a nasal vaccine, making it very convenient for children's vaccination.
Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D is another vaccine that is being tested on children belonging to the age group of 12 to 18, apart from adults.
Novavax/Covavax will be the fourth vaccine to begin clinical trials for children in India. Serum Institute of India (SII) is likely to begin clinical trials of Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine candidate on children in July. The recombinant nanoparticle protein-based vaccine NVX-CoV2373 developed by the American biotechnology firm has been branded Covovax in India. SII expects to launch Covovax in India by September. The vaccine has overall efficacy of 90.4 per cent. Covovax can be stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 Celsius and is, therefore, suitable for India's cold chain requirements.
Sputnik-V- Russia has begun testing a nasal spray of its coronavirus vaccine in children aged 8-12 years. Russia's Gamaleya Institute stated that the Covid-19 vaccine for children would be ready by 15 September.
Moderna - In adolescents aged 12-17 years, it showed no new or major safety problems in a clinical trial. If the vaccine is approved in the US, it will become the second option for vaccinating children aged between 12 and 17.
(This article is contributed by Dr V. Siva Narayan Reddy, Consultant - Pediatrician and Neonatologist, Rainbow Children's Hospital, Kharkhana, Secunderabad)
