Francisco Álvarez García
Coordinator of the AEP Vaccine Advisory Committee and Primary Care pediatrician
The AEP (Spanish Association of Pediatrics) recommends vaccination for five reasons:
- Because we have a vaccine that has been shown to be effective (90.7%) and safe.
- Because of the right to individual protection of children against a disease which, although generally mild in this age group, can be serious and can cause complications. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Spain there have been 10 deaths in children under 10 years of age and more than 180 admissions to the PICU.
- Contribute to the achievement and maintenance of safe educational spaces, which allow a normalization of schooling, interpersonal relationships and psychoemotional well-being of these children, because psychiatrists have seen this in the pandemic.
- Enable group protection, which for the delta is 91% and this age group represents 10% of the population and we will also manage to reduce the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the appearance of new variants;
- Not to deprive this group of the benefits of vaccination enjoyed by others, even if their health objectives are different.
On the safety of vaccines
Has it been tested in a sufficient number of children? Of course, the trial is powerful and the side effects are the usual ones even minor because it carries 1/3 of the adult dose.
About myocarditis and other side effects
No myocarditis has been detected in children under 12 years of age. Myocarditis is not expected in this age group (5-11) and we have administered 3 million doses in the USA and Canada and it has not appeared.
The main side effects are the usual ones: fever, chills, tiredness, headache and myalgia.