Anti-covid vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old in Italy, starting from December 16. Who has to do it? What if he got the coronavirus? As underlined by the Director General of Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Gianni Rezza, during the press conference on the analysis of the data of the COVID-19 regional monitoring of the control room, “now indications must be given and a circular must be made. We are waiting of the technical notes and on the basis of those we will try to give adequate indications “.
“I do not feel unbalanced”, concluded Rezza, recalling that “the question has also arisen for adults” and that “aggressive policies have been adopted at the international level from this point of view”.
DOSES AND TIMING OF ADMINISTRATION
The Technical Scientific Commission of the Italian Medicines Agency Aifa has approved the extension of indication of use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine for this age group also in our country. In the opinion, the CTS notes that “although SarS-CoV-2 infection is certainly more benign in children, in some cases it can be associated with serious consequences, such as the risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-c) , which may also require hospitalization in intensive care “.
The dose, it is explained, will be reduced (one third of the dosage authorized for adults and adolescents) and with a specific formulation, the AIFA announces, specifying that the vaccination will take place in two doses three weeks apart. The available data – detects the Cts – demonstrate a high level of efficacy and there are currently no warning signs in terms of safety.
In order to avoid possible administration errors – the note continues – the CTS recommends, for this age group, the exclusive use of the ad hoc pediatric formulation, suggesting, when possible, the adoption of vaccination courses appropriate to age.
ECDC
Coronavirus vaccines, “children between the ages of 5 and 11 who are at risk for severe Covid-19 should be considered a priority group for vaccination, as well as other age groups.” But “even children without known risk factors are susceptible to serious illness and hospitalization, so vaccination of all children between 5 and 11 years old could be considered, taking into account the epidemiology of Sars-CoV-2 at the national level “of each country.
These are two of the main points contained in a document entitled ‘Interim public health considerations for vaccinating children’, published today by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the ECDC, after the arrival of the Positive recommendation from the CHMP Committee for Human Medicinal Products of the European Medicines Agency EMA for the extension of use of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine in this age group.
“The potential opportunities offered by vaccination of children should be considered in the context of the overall levels of vaccine diffusion” in each country “and the epidemiological situation in a particular area where vaccination is being implemented – it reads -. They should also be considered. aspects relating to the implementation “of this activity” and health equity “.
SON
” With the recent approval of the AIFA regarding the use of the vaccine for the age group 5-11, the Commissioner Structure has planned the distribution in December of another 1.5 million pediatric doses of the mRna-Pfizer vaccine.
The doses represent a first tranche that will then be integrated in January and will be made available starting from December 15, so that all the vaccination facilities of the Regions / Autonomous Provinces will be able to vaccinate children starting from December 16. ”, communicates the structure.