Experts agree on the importance of vaccinating children against COVID-19

Last weekend, the Minister of Health, Jorge López Peña, announced the update of the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19. In this way, the population between 6 months and 4 years, with 11 months and 29 days of age will also be included in the new immunization campaigns.

“This decision has been made after evaluating the existing evidence and on the recommendation of the expert committee of the Ministry of Health [Minsa]. The vaccines will arrive in the coming weeks, so we hope that vaccinations for this group of children will begin this end of the month.” indicated María Elena Martínez, director of Immunizations of the Minsa, in statements to TV Peru.

As detailed by the spokeswoman, the doses to be applied in this new age group will be from the laboratory modern. There will be two doses, receiving the second 28 days later. It is estimated that some 2.5 million Peruvian children will benefit.

in two doses

As announced by the Moderna laboratory, it is not about buying a new batch of vaccines, but about a change.

“It is a modification in the supply agreement with the Government of Peru, to change the planned deliveries of the vaccine COVID-19 of Moderna for the pediatric formulation for children from 6 months to 5 years, and for the bivalent vaccine directed at omicron”, reported the laboratory through a statement.

So, Peru is expected to receive seven million doses of the pediatric vaccine against COVID-19 this year, and three million bivalent vaccine targeting omicron during the first quarter of next year.

“Peru is one of the first countries in Latin America to accept a supply agreement for our pediatric bivalent and omicron vaccines, taking important steps to continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and protect its citizens”indicated Roman Saglio, Moderna’s senior director of Commercial Alliances for Latin America in the same statement.

all vaccinated

Many parents find it unnecessary to vaccinate their children, especially since they may seem to have been the least affected. However, due to their particular condition they are in a very vulnerable situation.

“The figures related to children, especially those under 5 years of age, hospitalized and who have died from COVID-19 are not negligible. Although the wave of omicron has been the least severe, infants, preschoolers and children under 5 years of age are the ones that have had -comparatively- the highest rates of hospitalization and death. The problem is that they have not had previous exposure to the virus and until now they have had no protection. That is why it is necessary to vaccinate them.”reflects Dr. Theresa Ochoa, a pediatrician, infectious disease specialist and director of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute of Tropical Medicine.

For his part, the epidemiologist at the Cayetano Heredia University, César Ugarte Gil, considers it essential to vaccinate the youngest, especially to prepare them for what could come. “The use of the vaccine is recommended because we do not know what the next variants will be like. What has been seen is that when they reach vaccinated populations, they cause many new cases, but not with the severity that we saw in 2020 and 2021.”

While Dr. Ugarte asks parents to get rid of the idea that children do not get COVID-19 and therefore there is no need to vaccinate them, Dr. Ochoa recalls that newborns receive two hepatitis vaccines B and tuberculosis, and at two months against eight other diseases, and others during his childhood.

“Vaccinating them is the best thing to do,” says the specialist.