Covid-19 vaccine for children

Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!

  Covid-19 vaccine for children

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

1. The story: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE for use in children 12 to 15 years. The shot is the first cleared for administration in the younger age group, after the FDA last December approved the vaccine for ages 16 and up. Here is what you need to know about Covid-19 vaccines and children:
2. When will children get Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine: Vaccinations of adolescents have started. States are opening up appointments after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday expanding use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds. A key factor is whether a state has enough vaccine doses available to expand access. Supplies have increased considerably since Covid-19 vaccines began rolling out. However, vaccinating children younger than 12 years is months away. Pfizer, which is testing its shot in the younger children, said it expects to have data and request authorization in September.
3. Do children need it: Yes, according to most infectious-disease experts. Children can and do get sick from Covid-19, though research shows they typically experience milder cases and are much less likely than adults and the elderly to be hospitalized or die from the virus. As of late March, more than 3.4 million children had been infected with Covid-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, including nearly 14,000 hospitalizations and 279 deaths. The emergence of more-contagious variants, including the B.1.1.7 variant that was first identified in the U.K. and is now dominant in the U.S., appears to be sending younger patients to the hospital with a higher frequency, making vaccines in young adults and adolescents all the more urgent.
4. Vaccination for school: Local school districts in the US decide whether to require vaccinations, usually based on advice from the CDC and state and local health officials. Most school districts in the country already require students to have received vaccinations for mumps, measles and rubella, as well as polio, diphtheria and chickenpox, though many districts grant exemptions to students with pre-existing health problems or religious beliefs conflicting with the mandate. More than 100 U.S. colleges and universities have said they would require students to be vaccinated.
5. Children’s Covid-19 symptoms: The symptoms are pretty much the same for children as they are for adults, according to the CDC. The symptoms include fever or chills, cough, loss of sense of taste or smell, and headaches. Doctors have also been probing links between Covid-19 and a rare inflammatory condition that causes stomach pain, skin rashes and a high fever. One reason why doctors and public-health experts say they hope children will get vaccinated is research indicating they can carry and transmit the virus even if they don’t show any symptoms.
6. Any risks to children: Any vaccine comes with the risk of an adverse reaction, and the Covid-19 shots are no different. So far, however, researchers haven’t found evidence the vaccines pose any additional or different risks to children versus adults. The most common side effects to the vaccine, according to the CDC, are flulike symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and chills. Many recipients also experience arm soreness or bruising after receiving the shot. In rare cases, people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine have experienced severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis related to chemicals that help package the main ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, a compound known as mRNA. Studies indicate there aren’t safety risks for pregnant mothers or their unborn children from the vaccines, and that expectant mothers can pass on immunity-boosting antibodies to their fetuses after getting the shots. 
7. Summary: The battle against the pandemic is now open on all fronts, and children need full vaccination support as well.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.