Pune: The increase in the case of Koronavirus among children in some countries has encouraged several experts to pitch for their vaccination, but the National Technical Advisory Group on immunization (Ntagi) has decided to adopt the policy of waiting and watching the problem, one of its members said.
“We do not want to rush into it because the country has not witnessed one death among children under 12 years because of the virus.
In addition, the lack of access to the MRNA vaccine made us decide to wait,” Dr.
Jayaprakash Muliyil was one of the members told toi on Wednesday.
“The vaccination of children should not be a priority now,” he said.
“We have registered death among children because of cancer, leukemia and other diseases, where children are tested positively, but deaths cannot be attributed to Covid-19,” he added.
Virologists Dr.
Gagandeep Kang said that until there was a high coverage among those aged in older age groups and those who had comorbidity, there was no reason to see vaccination for children.
“In the end, we will vaccinate children despite the risk of severe disease in low children, but we must have access to other vaccine platforms as well, especially the MRNA vaccine,” he said.
“There are also worries that if we allow vaccinations for children, we will lose focus on other age groups, like those who are more vulnerable, parents and those who have co-morbidities,” he said.
“Given the low vaccination numbers in India, and high seropositivity levels in most places think we are able to wait,” Kang added.
But the expert of the State Children’s Duty Unit and Child Specialist hopes the decision to vaccinate children will be taken soon.
Child Specialists and Task Force Members of Dr.
Pramod Jog told TI that there was a need to start the vaccination of children early.
“All children (not vaccinated) are cohorts that are vulnerable to Covid 19 (from any variant).
While children on and large only have minor diseases themselves, their small amount can be quite painful to need hospitalization (as Africa has seen South lately), “he said.
He further added that the protection of Covid 19 with vaccination is not completed, it can still reduce the severity of the disease in children so that they can be managed at home, and this will prevent A loading service Health.
“Also, even though children have minor diseases, they can act as reservoirs to infect adults who may have worse consequences and increased morbidity and mortality.
Although children have shown the prevalence of sero antibodies about 70 percent even without vaccination, if the new variant appears to have an immune runaway mechanism to cause infection in them, it can only be reduced by vaccination.
“I feel for all these reasons, the vaccination of children against Covid 19 is very desirable and not postponed MRNA vaccines have been used in children abroad.