Pfizer ‘safest’ for children
OF the five COVID vaccines that have been approved worldwide, Pfizer is the safest for children from 12 years to 15 years old, says Labasa Hospital’s paediatrician Dr Rayape Diege.
Responding to concerns from parents during the Vanua o Ca’audrove virtual discussion on COVID, Dr Diege said children under the ages of 12 years were not vaccinated because worldwide studies had indicated that only those above the ages of 19 years old could contract COVID-19 even though children could carry the virus with them.
She said however the provision for children to get vaccinated was if they fell into the risk of the high risk disease category which meant that they were suffering for serious medical conditions.
Currently, she said, there were a lot of children born in Fiji with chronic conditions such as underdeveloped organs, kidney or heart problems and so on, adding these were those that needed to get vaccinated because their conditions made them vulnerable to the virus and its severe effects.
Concerning the Moderna vaccine, she said, it was only recommended for those seriously ill only 19 years old and above, adding the vaccine was potent against the Delta variant but only recommended for adults.
Since COVID was a new disease, Dr Diege told parents that study and research regarding its development was still continuing with studies indicating that only those above the years of 19 years old contracted the disease apart from very rare cases for those under 19 years old.
Since the vaccines were manufactured in the middle of a global crisis when the situation demanded a vaccine for the pandemic, Dr Diege said research into the possibility of vaccinating children in the future was still ongoing as vaccines produced currently were more focused on high risk people between the ages of 19 years old and above.