Children aged 5-11yrs to get Covid vaccine

After the experimental vaccination of children aged between 5 and 11 on August 11 the government will bring the children of the age group under the inoculation programme from 26 August.

Although the quantity of children being infected by Covid-19 is lower than any other age groups, the health authorities in the country have taken the initiatives to prevent the virus from spreading.

Minister for the Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque on August 7 informed the media that health authorities in the country would administer Covid-19 vaccines to children aged between 5 and 11 on experimental basis on August 11.

Seeing the result of the vaccination, they would start vaccinating children of the age group from 26 August.  

Dr Shamsul Haque, Member Secretary of the Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Committee of the DGHS, told the Business Post that although the number of infections among the children was lower, they could act as carriers.

Besides, those who are being affected by the virus could have long term side effects. This vaccine would lessen the sufferings and long-term damages, he added.

Even though Covid-19 is often milder in children than in adults, there’s strong evidence to support vaccinating children.

Evidence from different studies in the developed world showed vaccination offers excellent protection against Covid-19 in children.

Vaccines give the immune system a helping hand to protect against serious illness and possible long-term effects from Covid-19, the reports mentioned.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said they decided to administer the vaccine only after the World Health Organization advised them to administer it.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States authorized the emergence of the pediatric version of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine in late October last year.

The government of New South Wales of Australia on their website mentioned that from more than 130,000 post-vaccination surveys were completed by parents and most children experienced no side effects at all.

Of those who had vaccination (33pc), commonly reported redness, pain, swelling at the injection site, fatigue and headache that were gone within three days, it added.

Special version of vaccine for children

The vaccine that would be administered to these children is not that same as it was administered to the adult.

Pfizer (Comirnaty) children’s vaccine is approved for children aged between 5 and 11 years. The dose is around 1/3 of the dose for people aged 12 years and older. Children will receive 2 doses of the same vaccine, given 8 weeks apart.

Quoting the Education Ministry, Line Director of DGHS, Dr Shamshul Haque said there are 22million children aged between 5 and 11. For these children some 44million doses of vaccines are needed.

Till now some assurance of 41million doses have been received by the government under Covax facilities of GAVI, the Health Minister said on August 7.

The country till now has received some 3 million doses of Pfizer (Comirnaty) children’s vaccines, he confirmed.