Pune: Pediatric child specialists and task experts have urged the Union Government to accelerate the process of starting children’s vaccination against Covid-19, given how Omicron – a newly interested variant – is affecting children aged five years like the south.
Africa.
“There is a need to start the child’s vaccination early.
While children, in general, only have minor illness themselves, a small number of them may be quite sick to require hospitalization, as seen in South Africa lately.
Vaccination can reduce The severity of the disease in children so that it can be managed at home, and this will prevent the burden on health services, “said Child Specialist Dr.
Pramod JOG, also members of the Task Force.
The union government plans to start the Covid Kids vaccination at the end of December or early January.
“Children who are not vaccinated and those who have comorbidities are vulnerable to Covid-19.
Also, they may have a minor illness, but can act as a reservoir to infect adults and senior citizens at home, which may have worse consequences, and Increased morbidity and mortality, “JOG said.
Children have shown seroprevalence of antibodies around 70% without vaccination, but if the new variant appears to have an immune runaway mechanism to cause infection in it, it can only be reduced by vaccination, he added.
Mumbai Dr.
Rahul Pandit, Director (Critical Care), Fortis Hospitals, also a national taskforce member and the state of Covid-19, said, “With the new variant Omicron which affects children in South Africa, we must be very careful.” Dr.
Pandit said, “At this point, there is no need to panic.
Be careful when involved in the celebration and do not drop your guards.”