One of the main questions parents have been asking since their children settled back into school after the chagim is whether their child should get the Covid-19 vaccine?
Since September 20, all 12-15 year olds have been offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine through school, with thousands already taking up the offer. There are several reasons why children have been encouraged to get the vaccine.
Even a single dose reduces the chance of becoming ill with Covid-19 and passing the infection on to others. It also reduces the need for them to have time off school. This should not be underestimated in the context of the huge disruption to education and socialisation that young people in our communities have had.
It is right that generally children do not get seriously ill with Covid-19. For context, giving one dose to one million 12-15-year olds is expected to prevent around 87 hospital admissions. However, young people who catch Covid-19 can still spend several days feeling very unwell, much of which can be avoided through vaccination.
Taking the jab can also dramatically reduce the risk of getting an inflammatory illness known as PIMS-TS (Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome), a key feature of which is myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle.
As well as understanding the benefits of the vaccine, parents should be reassured by the knowledge that it is safe.
Some minor side effects are expected. Like adults, children may experience some discomfort in the arm in the day or two after vaccination. Around 10 per cent will feel a bit more unwell for a day or two, experiencing generalised aches like having the flu and very occasionally a fever, although this is less common with just one dose and goes within a few days.
Exceptionally rarely, the vaccine can cause other side effects like myocarditis — but you are ten times more likely to develop this if you catch Covid-19 without being vaccinated. Myocarditis could occur in around ten people for every million 12-15 year olds who have received a single dose, though this nearly always resolves after a relatively mild illness.
Parents also ask about potential long-term side effects of a relatively new vaccine. This is a very important question. No previous licensed vaccine has ever been reported to suddenly cause problems out of the blue years later.
But we do know that some children who catch Covid-19 develop health problems lasting months afterwards. With fewer vaccinated children catching and getting ill with Covid-19, we would also expect to see fewer cases of long Covid.
The Pfizer vaccine has now been given to millions of teenagers around the world, including in much of Europe and over eight million 12-15 year olds in the USA. It has been closely assessed by the MHRA, the independent body responsible for assessing medicine safety for the UK, which considers it safe and effective in this age group.
So why is it important for 12-15 year olds to get the jab now? Covid-19 infection rates are increasing in children and cases in school years 7 to 10 are the highest they have been in many local areas since in September. There have been a large number of cases causing major disruption within Jewish schools across the country. Without vaccination, this would be expected to continue, leading to further loss of education, as well as exposing children to infection.
What’s more, Covid-19 has disproportionately affected the social and mental health of children and young people for over 18 months. The vaccine is important in maintaining children’s physical health and, perhaps more importantly, it will contribute towards the return to social normality so desperately required for them to recover mentally and socially from this pandemic.
Dr Weil is a public health consultant in the Regional Operations Team for London, UK Health Security Agency, leading on COVID-19 vaccine uptake
Dr Cohen is a consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital
For more information go to: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccine-children
